Teach Your Children Well
by AvocadoLove
Summary: After Madara final attack on the village, Rokudaime Kakashi uncovers a time-travel scroll. Now he's Team Seven's sensei again. And this time, he's going to do things differently. A time travel fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes**: I've done a very bad thing. I wrote a prompt for the KakaIru Fest on Live Journal (check it out for other great prompts!) and then promptly fell in love with it. No one ended up claiming the prompt officially for the fest, so I asked and received permission to post it separately outside of that community. Thanks to Hot Spur for help with the title and brainstorming.

* * *

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.

_~Victor Hugo_

* * *

Kakashi wondered how long it would take for the smell of burned flesh to clear from the air. With too many bodies to bury, they had been burned instead. And now, weeks later, the air still seemed thick and oily.

His knees hurt. He had been kneeling for too long, or perhaps he was getting old. He _felt_ old. And tired.

His task was nearly complete, anyway. His hands, which had been so deft at dealing death now clutched a simple chisel and hammer. Ridiculous. His handwriting had always been awful, the bane of that one chuunin-sensei's life – what had his name been, again?

Kakashi set the chisel aside and swept his fingers up the rows of names upon the Memorial Stone; the newest of them still sharp and new.

Ah yes, Umino Iruka. He had been the one who –

Kakashi closed his eye, and with the ease of long practice banished the memory before it could take him to other, darker places.

He picked up the chisel and continued.

It was a cramp in his hand that finally forced him to stop, an hour later. Strange that he could flash through seals with perfect accuracy so fast he could not even follow his own movements, yet it was the manual labor that got to him.

There were many more names to still be added, but he was already late. No surprise there. Honestly, the council should learn to expect it by now.

Yet… Kakashi could not shake his conviction that the village could not begin to move forward again until they paid homage to the dead.

He knew he should go, but he swept his gaze upwards anyway, landing on a familiar name.

"You would be in hysterics if you saw me now, Obito," he murmured, before reaching over to pick up the large brimmed white hat he'd set aside when he began his work. Holding it on his lap with reverence he did not show in public, he sought out one final name on the stone. "But I know it should be you here, Naruto."

He could almost hear his former student's voice, shrill with displeasure, yelling at him from the stone: What was his perverted, terminally lazy sensei sitting here chiseling the names of the dead when there were asses in the council to kick?

"Maa, maybe you are right," Kakashi said. And, after replacing his hat, he made his slow, casual way back to what remained of the Hokage's Tower.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

* * *

Sakura was there to greet him at the door, clipboard tucked under an arm as if for all the world like she had been expecting him there at this minute. Perhaps she had.

Once his former student and now his assistant, she had stepped into the role as the Hokage's aid as if she were a reincarnation of Shizune.

"Hokage-sama, the council has been waiting for over an hour," she said, falling into step at his side.

"Yes, about that. I was asked to test out the new flavors of ramen at Ichiraku's," Kakashi replied. "I didn't want to offend one of our best merchants by saying no."

The corner of her mouth twitched up slightly. After Madara's final assault, and an encounter with Uchiha Sasuke's fire technique, Sakura had cut her pink hair short into a sensible bob. A red bandana covered the scarring at the top of her scalp, but nothing could be done for the ruined half of her face. She had use of only one eye and the other side of her mouth pulled downward due to a thick, red scar. She would never be a beauty again, but she still was a strong and capable kunoichi.

Kakashi still liked to see her smile. Even if it wasn't very much of one, anymore.

"Lair," she muttered, echoing old times, and looked down at her clipboard. "Two more shinobi have been declared fit for duty. Shiranui Genma, Special Jounin and Inoue Udon, Chuunin."

Kakashi gave a nod. "Good."

Madara's last stand had left them under powered and under populated, worse than the Kyubi attacks nearly two decades ago. It would take Konoha years to recover.

They reached the doors which led to the council chambers, but Sakura made a quick motion to stop before he could step inside. "One more thing," she said, and withdrew a slim scroll from her pocket before handing it over. "Yamato's reconstruction crew found this under the rubble of the Uchiha compound."

Like most of Konoha, the buildings of the once fabled clan were leveled in the attack. It was currently being rebuilt as a series of low-income civilian housing blocks. Kakashi occasionally did find justice to be fitting.

His amusement fell away upon closer inspection of the scroll. He glanced up, sharply. "Who else has seen this?"

"Yamato, myself, and Shikamaru from T&I," Sakura replied, and scanned around to make sure they were not overheard before lowering her voice. "Kakashi-sensei? What is it?"

Kakashi did not answer at first; simply slipped the scroll away in the deep folds of his Hokage robes. He gave his assistant a mild look. "I'm not sure yet, but let's keep this among ourselves, ne?"

Her shoulders tightened ever so slightly, but she was quick and nodded, "Yes sir," and in a normal voice meant to be overheard, added, "The Council will see you at once, Hokage-sama." She opened the door and Kakashi meandered inside.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

* * *

The council meeting was as dull and tedious as ever, and as soon as it was adjourned Kakashi practically fled (In his liquid, unhurried way, of course. Even Hokage's had to keep up appearances) to his office, and sealed the doors and windows with the most vicious wards he knew.

Only then did he take out the scroll and re-read it.

The kanji and seals painted within made up a framework of almost bafflingly complex puzzle. Monstrous in design.

Using his sharingan, it soon became clear.

_This had to be one of the great secrets of the Uchiha clan_, Kakashi thought. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. _One not even Itachi or Sasuke knew about, or else_…

… Or else things would have been much, much different.

It was, for all intents and purposes, the key to a time-travel justu.

According to the scroll, the user could only travel backwards within the span of his own lifetime. And even then... it took an enormous amount of energy. The further one went back, the more chakra it took.

There would be no telling how far back he could go: Yesterday, the start of the war, Sandaime's death, Sensei's death, Obito…

It hit Kakashi then that he was not just speculating. He was _planning_ on doing this.

After all, not taking this chance meant he could never change things, never get a second chance to prevent the deaths of those close to him…

… And as he said more than once, those who abandoned their comrades were worse than trash.

He would go back as far as his chakra held out. The drain might be fatal, but he was willing to risk it. If he could change only one thing, warn someone of Sasuke and Madara's threat…

The letters on the scroll lit in blinding white as they activated. The light was so bright it looked like, just for a moment, lightening had struck the Hokage's tower.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

Kakashi woke to a mouth as dry as sawdust, his sharingan eye drilling a hole backwards into his brain, and generally feeling as if he had been rolled over by an Akimichi.

He blinked open his eye and it took a few moments of concentration to focus on what was above him; a familiar woman I medic uniform and beyond her a sterile white ceiling. The hospital, then. How…?

It came back to him, then, all in a flash.

"…date…" he rasped.

The medic near him looked startled. "What was that, Hound-san?"

He swallowed past the dryness and tried again, "What… day…"

"You've been out for three days due to chakra exhaustion," she said, her grey eyes full of sympathy. "The guard found you half-dead at the gates. If you excuse me, the Hokage waned to know when you woke."

She bustled off, leaving Kakashi feeling slightly clubbed. So, it had worked. At least he was not the Hokage any longer. And he had not missed the fact that she had called him by his ANBU name.

Too late to save Obito, he thought, with a flash of honest regret. Or Minato-sensei.

But that still left a large space of time, and he could be anywhere in it. He joined ANBU in the weeks following the Kyubi attack, and still took special missions on the side for years after he'd officially retired. No one ever left ANBU completely.

So when was he? Was he too late after all?

Kakashi had not felt himself drifting off – chakra exhaustion was a bitch like that – and when he woke up next there was a visitor to his bedside.

"Ah, Kakashi," Sandaime said, leaning back to suck at the end of his pipe. He looked like he was trying not to smile. "Is this the second or third time you've exhausted yourself this year?"

"Sandaime-sama." Kakashi moved slightly, trying to sit up, but lethargy made his limbs heavy. The old man held up a hand to forestall the gesture.

"This is becoming far too frequent for my liking, Kakashi. Even the best of us need to take a break." He paused and blew out a puff of smoke. "As it happens, I have a favor to ask of you. A certain few Genins have graduated."

Kakashi's eye widened as it all fell into place. It was _that_ day. The day Sandaime asked him to retire from ANBU and take on a Genin team.

The first time around, Kakashi had been mildly put out, convinced that his skills were more useful elsewhere. The Hokage had spent an hour wearing him down by talk, flattery, and sheer determination. Finally, he had convinced Kakashi to at least test them.

"—One is the last Uchiha in Konoha," Sandaime continued. "He is head of his class and his instructors praise him as a genius. The second is Naruto Uzumaki." A pause. "I know you're aware of him."

"I'll do it."

"The third—" Sandaime halted, startled. "You're agreeing?"

He didn't have enough energy to sit up, but Kakashi could at least curve his eye up at the man. "Maa, I think such a team is just what I've been looking for. They may keep me on my toes."

"Oh," Sandaime said, clearly startled but happy. "Yes, that they will." The Hokage rose then, showing none of the stiffness of his age. "You will make a good teacher, Kakashi-sensei."

Good? No, Kakashi thought, after the old man had left the room. He had been merely passable at best. Naruto and Sakura had both gone on to be great ninja's in their own right, but Sasuke…

Kakashi leaned back against his pillow and closed his eye. He hadn't come back as far as he would have liked, but it was a critical point all the same. Team Seven as children again. Fresh. Perhaps, moldable.

His lips twisted into a smile under his mask. This time, he would do it right.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

**Next time: **It's time to meet his genin team for the first time. Again.**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: I am overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback this fic has received. THANK YOU. I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't disappoint. :)

A couple of quick things: **1)** The Sasuke in the future was A Very Bad Man. Whether he goes down the same path again, or finds a way to redeem himself in Kakashi's eyes will be a large part of this fic. I just wanted to put that out there before anyone accuses me of character bashing. **2)** While the primary focus of this fic will be action/adventure with Kakashi training the kids up and rearranging things to his liking, the pairing will eventually be Kakashi/Iruka. This will be secondary to the main plot because I'm not a strong romance writer, but if you're uncomfortable with a m/m pairing then this probably where you should hop off the crazy-train. (Although you're more than welcome to stay! :D )

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**~O~**

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* * *

**

Kakashi felt a pleasant sense of unreality settle over him as he walked the streets of Konoha. This was the village as he had remembered it best – after the Kyuubi's attack, but before Pain's invasion. The streets had just never seemed the same to him after the entire village had been obliterated the first time – they certainly had not been the same after Madara and Sasuke had been through.

He found his favorite bookstore and walked in, rebuying the just released novel, Icha Icha Paradise. His old favorite.

"Do you know the time?" he asked as he paid for his purchase.

The shop keeper glanced at the clock behind him. "It's half-past noon, Shinobi-san."

Kakashi thanked the man and strolled off, cracking open the new binding and flipping immediately to his favorite part.

Only two hours late this time. Not bad.

* * *

**~O~**

* * *

"Oh me?" Kakashi leaned back on his perch on the railing and looked over his genin team. His first impression was that they were… small. It was one thing to _know_ that they would be children again, but quite another to be confronted with the fact that Naruto's head didn't even come to the height of his vest pockets.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi," he said. "I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes." They were a little young for that sort of thing, anyway. "And I have lots of hobbies. Dreams for the future? Hmm." He paused for a moment, tapping his chin, and then shrugged. Well, it couldn't hurt. "My dream is to discover and train a team of legends to be even greater than the three Sannin."

"That's us!" Naruto cried, fist pumping in the air. "Believe it!"

Ah, that was another thing Kakashi had forgotten. Naruto at this age was _loud_.

Naruto was also the first to introduce himself, of course, and immediately launched into a rambling description of how much he liked ramen and, oh yeah, how he was going to be the next Hokage. Watching him now, Kakashi forgave his former self – just a little – for ignoring the boy at first. There would be a day when Uzamaki Naruto would surpass the Forth Hokage… That day was far off.

"I see," Kakashi said when Naruto had finished. "Next."

Sasuke was the next to speak, and Kakashi regarded him with wary interest. This was the boy Kakashi had seen so much of himself in, but he knew, now, with the clarity of hindsight, that he had unconsciously compared Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry with that of himself and Obito. But Naruto was not Obito, and Sasuke's world-view could not be shifted by the mere death of a teammate.

His ambition was to kill a 'certain' man? Kakashi would make sure he never had the chance.

"And lastly, the girl," he said.

This Hanuro Sakura was a very different kunoichi from Kakashi's able assistant. The Sakura of the future had been tempered into steel by death and tragedy. By blood, sweat, and hard work. Today, she was a silly little girl. And, like Naruto, Kakashi had forgotten how much she had grown.

The jounin let out a sigh. Having never been a little girl, Kakashi didn't know how their minds worked. _Perhaps_, he thought as Sakura cast a glance to Sasuke and squealed, _it would be_ _best if Sakura had a strong female influence in her life, earlier on._

He made a mental note to speak to Kurenai later.

Kakashi leaned back a bit on the rail, keeping his unnatural balance with a will of chakra. His sharingan eye still ached, though, a clear signal he wasn't wholly recovered from his near fatal chakra exhaustion. Well, he had not been in the past, either.

The bell test would be tomorrow.

* * *

**~O~**

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* * *

**

Kakashi's plan for the next day was very simple: He needed some sort of baseline to start from, before he started making changes. He had to be sure the events of this timeline were the same as the last.

To that end, he quickly found he had no worries. The attacks from the two boys were exactly as he had remembered them, down to every overpowered jutsu from Naruto he could see coming from a mile away… with his eye shut.

It was a small comfort to know the loud-mouthed idiot would eventually learn some sense.

* * *

**~O~**

**

* * *

**

There was one change he did make. When Sakura, predictably, went to Sasuke's aid, he caught her again in a genjutsu.

It was easy to craft an image of Sasuke with blood pouring from his sharingan eyes. Cold and insane all at once. The Sasuke in Kakashi's illusion was not Sakura's teammate; had not been for years. And the traitor he wasted no time in trying to kill her.

Sakura's scream echoed through the forest.

* * *

**~O~**

**

* * *

**

Sasuke himself was at least more intelligent than both his other teammates in his attacks. Kakashi remembered being impressed about how well the genin had taken to orders to use deadly force, how willingly he was to engage a jounin of superior size and strength. Sasuke could perform the Giant Fireball Technique straight from the academy, used near perfect taijutsu techniques, would acquire the sharingan in a few short months.

He had once seen these qualities, and thought them as proof of his genius. Now, as sparred with the last Uchiha, catching Sasuke's ankle in one hand and pushing him away as the boy reached for the bells, he only felt his heart harden.

Now, when Kakashi faced the boy across the meadow – looked into his dark eyes, he thought only of the long list of names on the memorial stone. A list he had helped chisel out with his own bare hands.

If things were not changed, soon, Sasuke would become consumed by revenge. He would abandon the village. Apprentice himself to one of the darkest mind's the shinobi nations had ever known. Rise to Madara's second in command, his dark enforcer.

There was no emotion on the boy's face, not even in the height of the battle. Sasuke had already begun to shut everything away in his heart, just as he would one day shut the village away.

And Kakashi saw clearly, now, that Sasuke was already on the path of the avenger.

He wouldn't – couldn't allow him to destroy the village again.

His judgment made, the jounin stuck to his original plan and finished the encounter off the same as before; leaving Sasuke buried up his chin in hard clay. He walked away, his heart heavy.

There was no other choice. He would snap Sasuke's neck himself, the moment they were safely out of sight on their first mission outside the village.

* * *

**~O~**

**

* * *

**

"YAY!" Naruto shrieked, loud enough to make Kakashi long for some sort of sound-muffling jutsu. "I DID IT! WE PASSED! NINJA! NINJA! NINJA!" Had he not been tied to the pole, Naruto surely would have been dancing.

"Maa," Kakashi agreed, digging out an ear with his finger. "Team Seven will begin its duties tomorrow. Meet me in the bridge in the morning. Dismissed."

Sasuke grunted – his only reaction to the news – and, taking up his backpack, walked away. Sakura quickly hurried to follow him, but Kakashi was certain he caught her giving her dark haired teammate an unsure sidelong glance. As if to reconcile the Sasuke she was with now with the one she saw in the genjutsu.

Kakashi smiled, very slyly to himself.

"Hey! Hey!" Naruto had finally calmed down enough to realize what was happening. He kicked his legs futilely, trying to struggle free from the pole. "Where do you think you're going? Sasuke? Sakura-chan? Hey!"

Once, in what was quickly feeling just like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once, Kakashi had left him there. A ninja needed to be able to free himself from being tied up, and besides, it wasn't a complicated knot. By the time he'd returned, a good three hours later, the boy had escaped.

Now, Kakashi only bent and cut the ropes. And then, with a quick flick of his wrist, caught Naruto by the scruff of his jacket before he could dash off. "Hold it."

"Eh?" Naruto turned and blinked up at him. "What's wrong?" Then the boy brightened. "Are you making me stay behind for some special training? Right? Yeah! Because you've acknowledged me as a great ninja!"

Kakashi stared down mildly at him, noting that his orange jacket seemed to be about three sizes too big. Considering. "One day you may be a powerful ninja. Maybe," he added, when Naruto opened his mouth again. "But there's something I want to see, first. Walk with me."

He made his way back to the village, nose stuck in his book with Naruto bouncing at his heels and chattering incessantly. Chapter four was particularly good at tuning the kid out, Kakashi found. It was the part where the heroine, Eiko, first goes undercover at the brothel…

"IRUKA-SENSEI!"

Kakashi looked up in time to see Naruto barrel into the hapless chuunin, hugging him about the waist. "I passed! Kakashi-sensei said I'm going to be a great ninja and—"

.

.

.

_The man had been dead for at least a day by the time they found him. He had been gutted like a fish, from stomach to sternum. And, judging by the sheer amount of the blood, and other, non-lethal marks, it had taken Umino Iruka a long, long time to die._

_Then again, that had probably been the point._

_Kakashi didn't need to mention that the body had been left out deliberately for them to find. He could see that Naruto knew it, too, even as he grieved; knelt down and clutching his former sensei to him. _

_Naruto let out a strangled sob and looked up. His eyes were red-shot, drawn into vertical slits, the whisker marks on his face darkened. "I'm going to kill him," he growled, a distorted version of his own voice. "That bastard… He's gone too far..."_

_It wasn't a threat. It was a vow._

_._

_._

_.  
_

"You passed? Really?... Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi blinked. Umino Iruka stood before him, whole and unscathed. His death had not happened yet, _would _not happen. Not if Kakashi had anything to do with it.

Quickly, Kakashi snapped his book shut and tucked it away, as if that had been his distraction. "It's true. Team Seven will not be returning to the academy, Sensei."

The man sagged in relief. "Oh thank goodness. When I saw—" He hastily swallowed the rest of whatever he was going to say and instead reached to ruffle Naruto's hair.

"Maa." Kakashi continued walking, but slow enough to allow the chuunin to catch up. A silent invitation. Iruka did, leaving Naruto to trot along between them. "Although, I wouldn't blame you for not wanting these students back. One of them can be quite annoying."

Naruto fairly beamed, clearly thinking Kakashi was talking about his _other_ teammate. "Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei says I'm going to be a great ninja! I'm going to get strong and beat Sasuke-bastard for sure! You watch!"

"Language, Naruto," Iruka snapped, although he shot a smile at the jounin. Odd. Kakashi couldn't remember the man ever smiling at him in the original timeline. Then again, the first time he recalling having an actual conversation with him outside the mission-desk had been during the chuunin-nominations.

Kakashi leisurely turned down a side street. "I have a good feeling about this team," he said. "And I'm hardly ever wrong."

"Is that so?"

Iruka's lips quirked again in a smile, but he was slightly distracted, taking a good look around. Smoke from the industrial district tended to float in this direction, marking the all of the windows and sidewalks with soot and the bitter smell of chemicals. The buildings in this part of the village had taken on a run-down, sleazy air. "Where are we going?"

"To train!" Naruto crowed.

"As jounin-sensei it's my job to be aware of my student's living conditions," Kakashi corrected, airily.

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, causing the two men to walk past him.

Kakashi stopped and turned back. "Is there a problem?"

"Heh." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's all right… you don't have to do that, Kakashi-sensei."

Meanwhile, Iruka was looking back and forth between them. "What do you mean?" he asked, sharply. Then, "Naruto, you don't live in this part of town?" And when the boy looked down, Iruka demanded, "Since when?"

Naruto shrugged at his sandals. "F'awhile."

"How long is awhile? Weeks? Months?"

"I dunno. A couple of years?" Naruto said, then looked up again. Any idiot could see that his smile was false, almost plastic. "I'm fine. The only people who bother me aren't ninja, or they're just drunk and… and… and I haven't cleaned in forever. You don't need to see it. Really!" He looked to the two adults imploringly.

Iruka made no reply other than to take Naruto by the shoulder and frog-march him forward. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

Kakashi watched the interaction between the two from an amused (and safe) distance. He'd once accused the other sensei of coddling his students, but now he suspected it went one step further than that – at least in Naruto's case. Iruka seemed to have genuine affection for the boy, even at this obnoxious stage. And mentally, Kakashi revised the chuunin's standing in his Plan.

In the future, Iruka's death had been used to manipulate Naruto by his enemies. So Kakashi had no real problem with manipulating him now, this time for Naruto's good.

In the fading light of the late afternoon, the apartment building looked even worse than Kakashi had remembered it. The whole complex seemed to lean a few degrees to the right, and a few shadowy figures slunk away at their approach. Kakashi glanced up, taking in the cracked walls and some sort of broken plumbing which seeped out of the side of the building, leaving a trail of filthy green slime on the way down.

Iruka made an outraged sound in his throat, sidestepping some broken bottles which littered the walkway.

"You know," Kakashi said, lightly. "This reminds me of an establishment I once visited in Rice Country. Do you know the one, sensei? It's rather infamous for its—"

"There is a child present, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka glared at him, hand still protectively on Naruto's shoulder.

Kakashi met the gaze mildly, but couldn't help needling the other man. "…Prices. The hourly rates are quite good."

"That's stupid," Naruto said. "Why would you only rent an apartment for an hour?"

A deep red flush spread up Iruka's neck and he hurriedly pushed Naruto forward again.

Naruto's own apartment was, thankfully, probably one of the best in the building. It didn't mean much, but there were no holes in the roof. The walls were thin, but the patches seemed to be holding. And if there were signs of mold along the window sills, at least they still slid open.

It also looked exactly like a twelve-year-old boy had lived there for years without any parental supervision.

Now Naruto was the one with a beet-red face. As soon as the door was open, he set about rushing around the small apartment, picking up stray underwear and stacking dirty dishes in a dry, crusty sink.

As if that were the problem.

Umino's fists were clenched at his sides as he looked around the room. "There hadn't been any change of address in his records," he said for Kakashi's ears alone, and with enough authority which implied he personally kept watch over Naruto's files.

Kakashi walked to the table to pick up a container of milk, still left out. In the past the Sandaime had brought him here as part of his strategy to convince him to take on Team Seven. Kakashi hadn't needed that tour this time around.

He threw the milk away.

Meanwhile, Iruka was examining a slab of thick wood set high upon several cinderblocks. A crudely made work-bench. Several bent shuriken sat on one side, a hammer on the other. "Naruto! What are you doing to your weapons?"

"Fixing them!" he hollered back, still desperately throwing dirty orange shirts into a pile of laundry in the corner. "Kado-san let's me pick from the broken pile! I get half off."

"At the shinobi supply center?" Iruka cut a look at Kakashi, and there was something dangerous in his brown eyes. The broken weapons bin was supposed to be recycled back to anyone who would take them and fix them. For free.

Sensing that explosion was imminent, Kakashi took a step back.

He wasn't disappointed: Somehow, Iruka was even louder than Naruto. The windows _shook_.

"YOU LITTLE IDIOT! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ANY OF THIS WAS GOING ON?" Iruka shrieked. A vein pulsed ominously in his forehead. "Didn't you listen to ANY of my lectures? These shuriken will never be field-fit! You will NOT be buying from that place again, do you hear me? _I_ will go with you to buy new weapons—"

"And clothing," Kakashi suggested, before walking over to open up a kitchen cabinet door. A moth flew out. "And food."

The chuunin's jaw actually dropped. Then he rounded on the boy. "_Get_… _your_… _things_," he growled, nearly shaking in rage. "You're _not_ staying one more night in here. I have an extra room. You can sleep there. And you WILL be eating right or so help me, I—" He paused, perhaps realizing what he'd just said. What he was offering. "Um, that is… if that's what you want?"

Naruto stood there in the middle of his crumbling mess of an apartment, frozen in shock. He gave a tiny nod, his eyes looking very big. "Iruka-sensei…"

Kakashi walked to the filmy, spotted window and looked out, pretending not to notice the drama playing itself out behind him. "Naruto, you are shinobi now. It's up to your comrades to help you if you need it. What Iruka-sensei says is correct. You need better quality weapons, to eat right and get stronger, and," he paused for emphasis, "a safe place to return to after dangerous missions."

"Y-yes, Sensei," the boy stammered.

Iruka let out a long, relieved breath, and Kakashi could practically see him count to ten to get his temper under check. He clearly wasn't angry at Naruto, but at his situation.

"Okay," Iruka said, fists unclenching. The man had a temper when he was riled up. He'd do his best to remember that. "Let's pack away your essentials first. Kakashi-sensei, would you help please?"

But Naruto still stood, paralyzed. "You really mean it?" he asked, slowly, as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around it. "I can get new clothes and weapons and I… I can live with you?"

"Yes, Naruto," Iruka said, kindly.

Naruto's grin was brilliant enough to light the room.

* * *

**~O~**

**

* * *

**

It took the entire evening to go through the apartment. Most of the weaponry was old or broken or both. Naruto's clothing mostly either had holes or was either too big or too small. The rest; scrolls, knickknacks and the like could be fit into three boxes which Kakashi had scrounged up from a nearby shopkeeper.

Naruto insisted on carrying the largest box – nearly as big as himself – and paraded proudly ahead, leaving the other two to walk behind.

Overall the night was a success, and Kakashi allowed himself a mental pat on the back. He had originally planned to put the kid up in the old Hatake compound, even though he himself loathed the place. Too many bad memories.

This solution was much better. Still…

"Don't let him eat you out of house and home, Sensei," Kakashi warned, once Naruto was safely ahead of them.

The smile Iruka gave him was serene… and a tiny bit evil all at once. "I have no intention of that, Kakashi-sensei. Did you know there is a village orphan fund?"

He didn't. He had lived with Minato-sensei after his father died, and the money he had inherited and earned through missions had been more than enough.

"Every orphan is given a basic allowance," Iruka continued, after Kakashi shook his head. "And seeing this… I don't think Naruto's been receiving his full share. Tomorrow I'm going to go through those files carefully." His mouth tightened. "I'll make sure he receives what he should have all along. With interest."

Kakashi barked out a laugh. The sound surprised even himself – it had been a very long time since he had laughed. "You are a devious man, Sensei."

Iruka grinned. "In fact, I don't think the Sandaime would be pleased to hear about any of this, either. He cares for Naruto."

That sobered him up. The Third knew about Naruto's predicament – he had been the one to show Kakashi the apartment in the first place. But there was a stubborn set to Iruka's face, and so Kakashi didn't feel like telling otherwise.

"Still," Iruka said, and then turned thoughtful. "I know Naruto is a special case, but I wonder how many other orphans had been short-changed. Sasuke—"

"Don't concern yourself with him," Kakashi said sharply in warning, and could have kicked himself when Iruka shot him an odd look. "Sasuke is… different from Naruto," he said, forcing his voice back into flat boredom. There was no reason to get emotional. After all, Iruka didn't know he was speaking of his once-murderer. "He requires a different sort of handling. I'll keep my eye on him. Besides," Kakashi added, looking again to Naruto who was panting with exhaustion ahead, but either too stubborn or too stupid to put his huge box down. "You'll have your hands full."

They both would.

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**Next: Training pint-sized ninjas.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Sadly, Iruka doesn't make an appearance in this chapter. There is Gai, though.**

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**~O~**

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Kakashi meandered his way to the bridge overlooking the creek in training ground seven exactly three hours and forty-five minutes after he said he would.

"You're late!" Sakura and Naruto yelled.

The jounin paused in his step, smiling under his mask at a sudden wave of nostalgia. Ah, memories. "Late?" He looked around, guileless. "No I'm not."

"Lair!" the two yelled again. Sasuke grunted his agreement.

Completely unaffected by the three fuming genin, Kakashi ambled over to them, tucking Icha Icha Paradise safely away in his hip pocket. Sakura had her arms crossed and was giving him the exact same look disapproval her adult-self used to have as his assistant. Sasuke was feigning indifference, leaning on the railing a little apart from the other two, hands in his pockets. Naruto, meanwhile, was fairly vibrating with pent up energy.

There was a new look about the boy: Iruka must have taken Naruto clothes shopping in the early morning, because Naruto was sporting new sandals, dark trousers without any rips or tears, and a new jacket – still a blinding orange, Kakashi noted, with an internal sigh. Well, not all battles could be won in a day.

"Maa," Kakashi said. "I was just over there the whole time." He pointed over his shoulder to a stand of thick bushes just visible behind a bend in the creek.

Naruto scowled up at him. "What? But… Why were you over there?"

"Why not? It was very nice," he said, sincerely. "And quiet."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura began, and again Kakashi had a flash of the woman she had one time become. Especially when her eyes were narrowed with annoyance. "Your instructions were to meet us on the bridge. How were we supposed to know you would be off hiding somewhere else?"

"Well, did you even bother looking for me?"

"No, because you said you would be _here_."

"Ah," he said, tipping his head back to look in the middle distance. Somewhere, among the leaves of the trees, he could hear the rough voiced caw of a crow. "That's interesting."

There was a long pause as the genin traded glances with one another. Finally, Sasuke broke and asked, "What's interesting?"

He shrugged. "That you three would assume people, especially shinobi, come and go by a set pattern. That you would agree to a meeting place, and then not check your surroundings for possible ambush spots, traps, or places were you can be_ observed._" He put particular emphasis on the last word.

Sakura's hands flew to her mouth. "You were watching us? This whole time?"

He had: Observing Naruto's boasting, Sakura trying to flirt with Sasuke, and Sasuke trying – and failing – to ignore both of them. It wasn't nearly as interesting as Sakura clearly feared it was. However, it had been informative: he was now sure that the team dynamic remained more or less the same as the timeline before. So far.

"Hey! Hey!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's not fair! You mean you were sitting over there that whole time, reading that nasty perverted _book_," he scowled, "when you could have been training us?"

"Oh, I don't think it's fair, either," Kakashi sighed. He sat himself on the wooden rail, resting his chin upon his hand. "I was promised a group of genin, ready and willing to be trained. Instead I got three lazy students who would rather sit at the bridge and talk for hours instead of being proactive about their training."

Sakura and Naruto both exclaimed, "Sensei!" and Sakura put her hands to her hips, sea-green eyes narrowing.

"You're saying you _wanted_ us to find you," Sasuke said, flatly. "This was another test."

Kakashi gave a grudging nod to the Uchiha. When it came to looking underneath the underneath, he had always been the quickest on the uptake. His natural ability to observe small details had been part of his genius, and part of why he made such a deadly opponent.

"I see no reason why training should be given, instead of earned," he said, with a shrug. "Your enemies will not give you a time or a place where they will be. It's up to you, as shinobi, to discover what information you can ahead of time, and use it to arm yourselves."

The three students scowled at him, probably realizing this meant a lot of wasted time on their parts. Well, it was sure to be good practice for them. Kakashi curved up his eye into an arch. "Don't worry, I promise to at least be somewhere in the training field… for awhile."

"Tch," Sasuke grunted.

As if on cue, Naruto grinned and, bouncing on the balls of his feet, declared, "Just in the training field? And we can use traps and stuff?" he waited for Kakashi's nod, then grinned. "Yosh! That'll be easy! I'll find you first, and get trained first!" He threw a triumphant glare at Sasuke.

"_If_ you can find me," Kakashi corrected then added, with false modesty, "I'm very good at being late."

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"Hypothetically speaking," the Kakashi began, afterwards, as he led his students from the bridge and back towards the main field. "Let's say you've received a mission from your Hokage is to track and eliminate an enemy shinobi who has been hiding himself in a group of civilians. How would you identify your target?"

"Observe the movements of the group. Learn what the individuals schedules are, their favorite places, and see who stands out," Sakura said, in a nearly textbook repetition of an academy lecture.

"Set a trap for him!" Naruto exclaimed, probably thinking of the simple rope traps he had been caught in yesterday. "Then, when he falls for it, you can come in and get him! BAM!" He punched one fist into his open hand.

Sakura rounded on her teammate. "Idiot! You have to know which one is the shinobi before you can set a trap for him."

"Then you set one which only goes off on ninjas," Naruto answered, as if it was the simplest solution in the world. He grinned, wide and foxy. "Then BAM!"

"Naruto is closest to the answer," Kakashi said, forestalling Sakura as she opened her mouth to argue. "Although he's not right."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his two teammates. "Tch. Just sense for his chakra. If he's hiding himself in a group of civilians, his developed chakra system will make him stand out."

Kakashi nodded. "Exactly."

He had taken them to level, grassy spot in the field, and, folding his legs gracefully, sat crossed legged on the ground. His students followed suit, arranging themselves in a semi-circle around him. "Most shinobi are able to shield their chakra signature to one degree or another by the time they are chuunin. However, not many are able fully pass themselves off as civilians. The stronger one is, and the more chakra reserves they have, the more difficult it can be." He hadn't been able to play 'civilian' since he was eight years old. At least, not to anyone with a great degree of sensitivity. "Now, who here can already sense the presence of other ninjas?"

Sasuke nodded his head. Sakura shook hers and Naruto just looked confused.

Kakashi's smile was acid under his mask. He suspected Sasuke already could, but that his range was more limited than he had ever let on. Why else did he need a sensor-type like Karin? The sharingan probably made up for the rest of the lack.

"It's not unusual for genin not to be able to sense others right out of the academy. As you continue to develop and control your own chakra," Kakashi continued, "you will eventually become more sensitive to the presence of it in others."

But Naruto still had not lost that look of confusion on his face. "… chakra?"

"Idiot!" Sakura snapped again, this time whapping him over the head with her fist. "How did you even graduate?"

The boy curled up rubbing his head. "Owww… Sakura-chan! How am I supposed to remember? That was forever ago, already."

"Tch. Dobe." Sasuke grunted.

Kakashi sighed. Picking up a pointy stick, he drew a quick outline of the human body in the hard soil, drawing figures in it as he spoke. "Chakra is the result of melding physical and spiritual energy." He paused, reminding himself how thick the boy was at this stage, and added blandly, "It makes your jutsus work."

Instantly, the boy's face lit up. "Oh! Yeah! Yeah! The yellow stuff. Why didn't you say so, Kakashi-sensei?"

Yellow…? Kakashi shook his head and went on. "As I said, your sensitivity will increase as you use and develop your own chakra reserves… but there are a few techniques I've learned to speed along the process."

_That_ got the attention of his students. All three leaned forward in anticipation.

He curved up his eye at them, letting the suspense draw itself out. Then, "First, we hold hands."

Sakura immediately took one look at Sasuke and blushed so fiercely her cheeks matched her hair. Naruto looked torn between excitement at holding hands with Sakura and mounting horror that he would also have to with his teacher.

Sasuke, on Kakashi's other side, just stared at him in flat refusal. His dark eyes flicked to the side pocket where Kakashi normally stored Icha Icha Paradise. "You said you were hiding behind those bushes all morning. Were you reading that book?"

Kakashi smiled again. "My hands are clean." (As if he _would_ do such a thing with gloves on anyway…) He grabbed hold of Sasuke's hand in a firm grip and allowed the petty part of himself which still remembered the smell of the burning village to take pleasure in how the boy flinched. Naruto, too, was hesitant, but seemed intent on not allowing Sasuke to show him up. He joined hands.

"Close your eyes," Kakashi directed, then led his students through several breathing exercises designed to quiet the mind and increase perception.

"Your body is an empty shell, a container for your physical and spiritual power," he intoned. "Visualize your own chakra within this container. Some see it as a point of light, some as an inner fire or a well spring. Focus on this image. Let it fill your mind."

He heard Sakura take a sharp breath and felt her chakra signature waver slightly in surprise. The academy curriculum taught students how to manage their chakra only through seals and control exercises.

The accessing it this way for the first time was… startling.

Kakashi also felt Sasuke's chakra grow brighter and dim again as the last Uchiha found it and experimented slightly. Only Naruto's stayed the same – his reserves gleamed like an ever-bright star to Kakashi's senses.

He allowed his team a few minutes quiet before speaking again.

"This is your own natural chakra, so you should already be familiar with the feel of it. You have your chakra visualized, but now you need to learn to sense it in others. For this exercise, you will need to gather some chakra into your hands."

Naruto's palm immediately grew hot to the touch and Kakashi squeezed it sharply in warning. "Not too much. You will burn someone that way."

Naruto gulped, but his hand immediately cooled.

Kakashi continued, "Concentrate on the feel of the chakra beside you, how it is different from your own. Everyone has a slightly different signature. Learn how your teammate's chakra feels to you and memorize it. With enough practice, you will eventually be able to tell where your teammate is from a distance, and if someone is attempting to fool you with a henge of him or her."

He cracked open his eye as he spoke. Sasuke was sitting, back ridged and blank faced. Sakura, too, had a look of focus. Naruto on the other hand was red-faced and bearing down so hard it looked as if he was trying to lay an egg.

Naruto opened his eyes, looked around wildly to see if he was doing it right. Then, finding Kakashi watching him, he quickly shut his eyes again.

"Problems?" Kakashi asked, mildly.

"No!" Naruto lied, and then squinted up his face. "Only… I don't get it. Are you talking about the white stuff? That's you, sensei?"

"Moron," Sasuke muttered. "You're just looking at his hair."

"Teme!" Naruto squawked, opening his eyes to glare at the other boy. "No you're wrong, because Sakura-chan's chakra is a pretty kind of green and she _doesn't_ have green hair, does she?"

Sakura somehow managed to roll her eyes, even closed. "Sasuke-kun is right, Naruto. You're not doing it right."

Privately, Kakashi agreed with Sakura and was wondering if this was too much for Naruto, too fast. He was a little… dense. Yet something in the boy's rambling caught his attention. Yellow… white… green…

No… That was impossible.

"Naruto," he said, "take Sasuke's hand and tell me what you see."

Both boys shot him poisonous looks before shifting their gazes to glare at each other. They took hands with only the utmost reluctance and, Kakashi suspected, squeezing each other's hands far tighter than necessary.

"Red," Naruto announced, after a minute's concentration. Then added, "A really ugly red."

Kakashi stared at the boy. It couldn't be…. Surely, he hadn't kept this ability to himself in the first timeline? No, Naruto was the type to shout his powers from the rooftops. He held nothing back. Then again, Kakashi had not tested his students this way last time. And Naruto _still_ had to be explained the memory transference ability of Kage Bunshin even years after using them…

"Sensei?" Sakura asked.

He let out a long breath and shook his head in bemusement. "I have a theory, but first, there is one more thing I want to try." Kakashi took several small white squares of paper from his vest. He passed them around. "This is a special type of chakra paper. By infusing your chakra into it, you will be able to find your elemental affinity."

He held up a square between two fingers and after a moment's concentration it crinkled up. "My elemental affinity is to lightening," he said, then gestured around. "Now you try it."

Sasuke's paper blackened and burned away. Naruto's split in half and Sakura's crumbled into nothing.

"Lightening is often associated with the color white," Kakashi explained, to their confused glances. "Sasuke, your affinity is to fire – red. Naruto, yours is wind – yellow. Sakura, earth, which is often paired with the color green."

One by one Sasuke and Sakura turned to look at Naruto who just looked confused again.

"No way," Sasuke said, flatly, still staring at his teammate.

"Yes," Kakashi agreed, and if he were not the consummate professional he was, _he_ would have smacked Naruto upside his thick head. Just on principle. "Naruto has the makings of a natural chakra-sensor. He can already sense elemental affiliations."

Naruto blinked. "So… that's good, right?"

"It is. With time and practice you will be able to detect the presence of other people from great distances through their chakra. If you know natural element ahead of time, you can guess which jutsu they'll use and prepare. It will give you an advantage."

"… Really?" Naruto grinned at his sensei and laughed, pumping a fist in the air. "Yeah! This will make me stronger. I'm one step closer to becoming the next Hokage! Believe it!"

And Kakashi took note of how Sasuke's jaw tightened – almost imperceptibly. The Uchiha didn't like being shown up in any way, especially not to a dead-last. Then again, that was no surprise. A person with Sasuke's ambitions craved power and was jealous to see it in others.

He let Naruto celebrate for another few minutes before holding up his hand for silence. "We will continue training tomorrow… if we get an early enough start."

"You mean if you actually show up on time," Sasuke grumbled.

Kakashi curved his eye up at him. "That will depend on how well you apply today's lesson, won't it?" Then he dug around in his back pocket, eventually pulling out a scroll. "Afternoons will be used for completing missions. I have taken the liberty of stopping by the missions desk and picking this one out especially for you three. I think you'll find it… suitably appealing." With that, he tossed it lightly into the air.

Sasuke was quickest to snatch it, and with Naruto and Sakura crowding close, he unrolled it. His left eyebrow gave a twitch. "It says we're to help with the dinner rush at Nageto's Sukiyaki Restaurant…" he trailed off, then peered closer, almost as if he couldn't believe it."Peeling vegetables?"

"As I said," Kakashi replied, grinning behind his mask.

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Let it not be said that Hatake Kakashi did not appreciate the value of a good D-rank mission. He'd certainly had his own share of them as a genin (the entire year of it), and during his first experience with Team Seven, had assigned them liberally. One never knew when you would be called upon to infiltrate, say, a high-class restaurant posing as a kitchen-worker. And Kakashi could now say, after three hours sitting on the sidelines reading his book while monitoring his team, that if push came to shove Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke could reliably pass themselves off as amateur line-cooks.

His students – glaring at him, and with Naruto still picking bits of potato-skin out of his hair – did not agree with his assessment.

Kakashi only smiled and told them to meet him at the training ground at eight o'clock in the morning, and to bring extra towels. He then teleported away.

A cool evening had fallen over Konoha, bringing with it a crisp breeze from the east. Kakashi walked the parameter of the main market square; hands shoved in his pockets and pretending to be lost in his thoughts and not notice the crowd, all the while scanning and marking out faces and comparing them to his mental list of the population.

It would do no good to draw attention to himself by accidently mentioning someone who he remember as died, when they had not yet in this particular timeline.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

Kakashi froze mid-step, his visible eye widening ever so slightly.

There was blur of green – a blinding flash of teeth – and Gai stood before him, unrepentantly tacky, overenthusiastic, and _whole_.

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_._

_Kakashi had brought a pastel colored get-well card, and a copy of a corny adventure novel he'd once read on a whim, and now thought it might suit Gai's taste. They both sat on the night-stand – the only bright spot in the bare hospital room. _

_"…We could arm wrestle?" Kakashi said, tentatively into the awkward silence. "Assuming your arms still work, of course."_

_Guy snorted through his nose. "Now I know things are bad when you start issuing challenges."_

_"Heh." He rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly, knowing he had been caught. The truth was, Kakashi did not allow himself to be drawn into anything he didn't want to be drawn into… as much as he had ignored the taijutsu master, the rivalry had kept him on his toes._

_And now, if only to draw out Gai again – hear an echo of his booming voice – he didn't mind so much lowering himself to actually proposing a challenge._

_"You lead me by two points," Kakashi said, watching his friend out of the corner of his eye for any reaction. "It eats away at a man."_

_"Later, perhaps, my rival." Gai turned his attention to the view of the small, well manicured courtyard; the only bit of green visible through the hospital window. The silence dragged on into long empty minutes._

_"Sulking like this isn't very youthful, you know." Kakashi said at last, a tad harshly. He would much rather have Gai mad at him than this blank… nothing. "Why isn't that little clone of yours here, threatening to end his life if you don't walk again or something?"_

_"My adorable student would have made just that pact, but I could not allow it," Gai replied, flatly. It was odd and put up the hairs along the back of Kakashi's neck because it was… well, Gai. "He now trains a new genin team. He is… still so youthful, and I—" he cut off his speech with a shrug, swallowing, and Kakashi got the sinking feeling those weren't Manly Tears behind Gai's eyes. "I'm old, Kakashi. And broken."_

_"Maa, don't start that. You're making me feel old."_

_"The wasting jutsu hit me from behind – a most Cowardly Act," Gai said. "But it doesn't change the facts: I can't feel anything from my mid-chest down. I can no longer be a shinobi of Konoha." _

_And Kakashi found he had little to say to that. He didn't consider himself nice guy by nature, and knew for a fact his social skills weren't in his repertoire of genius. He had no idea how to comfort the other man, and lying and false optimism was distasteful._

_So he sat and silence, and so did Gai… still staring out the window._

_It was the last time Kakashi spoke to him. He had been called out on a long mission, and came back to the news that the Green Beast of Konoha had ended his life. Kakashi had not asked for the details – his father's own suicide still too painful of a memory to touch – and was almost pitifully grateful that Gai had arranged it in a way that Kakashi wasn't the one to find the body._

_Maito__ Gai's name joined the others on the memorial stone, and Kakashi made sure to talk to him, every day._

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"—And I am Thrilled to hear you have at last accepted Three Adorable Students as your Protégés! We must pit Them Against My Team to see who is truly the Village's most Hip and Youthful Sensei!"

Realizing Gai was still talking – and had been for some time – Kakashi blinked and forcefully made himself lean against a nearby wall; projecting an air of casualness as if it were his lifeline. "I'm sorry, were you talking?"

"Ah!" Gai immediately jumped into nice guy pose #12, his teeth flashing brilliantly in the sun. "You are so Hip and Cool, my Rival! Fear not, for I Will Beat You in this next Challenge. You lead By Only ONE Point, and I cannot—"

"Hmm. What are the terms?"

Guy nearly staggered in shock, and Kakashi watched him, amused. He should have thought of this tactic before. Then again… well, things had been different.

"You're actually accepting a challenge? Without more persuasion?" Gai nearly gasped, but then straightened, and now his grin was so wide it was nearly blinding. "I Knew My YOUTHFUL Vigor would One Day Rub off on you!"

"Yes, yes," Kakashi said, with the same tone one would use mid-yawn. "Terms?"

"To Walk up The Top of Hokage Mountain using just their Hands. Whoever gets there first Shall be Declared The Winner!"

With a long suffering sigh, Kakashi pushed himself against the wall. And with one glance to judge the distance from the market to Hokage mountain, he nodded.

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**Next: Fangirl crushes are very troublesome.**

**Note:** Just a quick explanation about my decision to have Naruto as a natural chakra-sensor. For the purposes of plot, I really wanted someone to develop this sort of talent for the team. Sasuke was the most logical choice, but I had to put him aside because Orochimaru would have surely discovered that sort of latent talent in canon, and trained him up it in. Then, he wouldn't have had to put up with Karin. Sakura was the NEXT logical choice… but really, it seems like chakra-sensoring is more or less a feminine talent in the manga and since Sakura is _already_ a medic (another occupation traditionally assigned to females on the teams), I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, Naruto it was. My excuse is he didn't know he was in the canon timeline, and just assumed everyone sensed different color chakra like he did. And he never tied it to different elemental affiliations because… well, he's Naruto. ;D

Thank you all for the feedback! It's great to see how worried I've made some of you over Sasuke's future. Whahaha.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:** Thanks to Hotspur and Schwarztkd for helping me brainstorm through this chapter. :D

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Kakashi spent the next morning very pleasantly – reclining on a high branch of a tree on with his copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

Every few minutes or so he flared his chakra, using himself as a homing beacon. He was sure he felt had the presence of several ANBU a few training fields away this morning, and no doubt chakra spikes would be driving the more sensitive of them crazy, but no one could complain if it was for training. At least, officially.

He could hear his students crashing about in the underbrush below; looking for him, presumably. They were doing a poor job of it. Clearly, they could feel he was _somewhere_ nearby, but not a one of them had bothered to look up…

Kakashi had just reached chapter six (Where the heroine, Eiko, first realizes her mysterious repeat client in the brothel is not all that he seems…) when Naruto's triumphant voice was heard at last.

The boy staggered from between two thick bushes, a leafy twig sticking from his hair. "There you are!" he yelled, pointing upwards. "I found you, Sensei! Sakura! Sasuke! I found him! He was being lazy up in a tree!"

"Finally!" A much harried looking Sakura came into view, brushing her dress free of leaves. Sasuke walked, neat and clean as always, in from the other side.

Then there was an awkward beat as all three genin looked expectantly to their teacher. Kakashi read on, uninterested, and turned the next page.

"Well?" Sasuke said at last, and Kakashi gave himself a mental pat on the back for getting the last Uchiha to initiate conversation on his own so early in the day. "You said we would start training once we found you."

"Saa," Kakashi sighed, regret heavy in his voice. "Unfortunately it has become so late I only have time to train one of you today."

"_WWHHHAAT_?"

Coolly ignoring his students' protest, Kakashi snapped his book shut and tucked it safely away. "Let's make it interesting. The first to climb this tree and reach me will be receiving training today." He paused, noting how both Sasuke and Naruto tensed as if readying to simply leap up to him, "But you will not be allowed to use your hands."

"What?" Naruto scrunched up his face, then stared at his hands for a moment, then up again at the tree. "How are we supposed to do that?"

Sakura's face brightened. "Wait! I've read about this in the academy textbook. Ninja with superb control can use their chakra to walk straight up buildings or trees—_Sasuke-kun_!"

Sasuke had launched forward before she had even finished, clearly intent on being the one to receive training for the day. His chakra glowed blue under his sandals as he leaped – but Kakashi could see it was too much, too powerful. The heel of Sasuke's sandal cracked against the trunk, splitting bark, and the entire tree shook with the impact. The boy was repelled back, but tucked in mid-air, executed a back flip and landed again in a graceful crouch.

_Just as before_, Kakashi thought, leaning out in exaggeration from his branch, as if surveying the damage to the tree: the trunk now sported the perfect imprint of a shoe. "Sakura had the right idea," he said. "But my, my Sasuke-kun. You used far too much chakra—"

He stopped as Naruto let out a war cry of his own and ran straight at the tree. His foot slipped and Kakashi repressed the urge to wince as the boy fell back again and hit the ground with an audible thump. "As I was about to say," Kakashi drawled, looking on as Naruto rolled around on the ground, clutching his head in pain. "The key is moderation. Too much chakra and you only break the bark. Too little and you fail to stick all together." He looked to Sakura. "Care to try?"

The girl visibly hesitated, but then brought her fingers up and a brief pose of concentration. Then she ran at the tree at full tilt. Kakashi's experienced eye caught a slight misstep as her feet stuck to the trunk and held – most likely out of surprise than anything else. She had recovered by her next stride, though, and her momentum carried her the rest of the way.

"I did it," she breathed, so quietly Kakashi wasn't even sure he was supposed to overhear it at all. Then Sakura whooped, louder, fist in the air. "I did it!"

Kakashi simply curved up his eye and moved aside to let her sit down.

"Yeah! Now that's the girl I put my faith in!" Naruto crowed. "How did you _do_ that, Sakura-chan?"

She only grinned a reply at him, her eyes were seeking Sasuke.

The last Uchiha stood to the side of Naruto, jaw tight and fists clenched to his sides. He said nothing to Sakura and looked away from her, fuming.

Sakura practically wilted where she sat, and Kakashi let out a silent sigh. To borrow the phrase, her crush on the Uchiha was… troublesome. Well, that was partially what he had planned to tackle today. The seed of doubt he had tried to plant with yesterday's genjutsu still needed watering.

Kakashi leaned forward on his branch, curving his eye up at the two boys on the ground below. "It looks like Sakura outdid both of you." He paused for a moment, letting that particular dagger sink deeper. "_She_ will be the one to receive training today." He reached into his pocket and flung out two kunai to land at Sasuke and Naruto's feet. "You will be able to join us… if you manage catch up."

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Kakashi sent Naruto and Sasuke to walk up trees on opposite sides of the training field. During the disastrous mission to Wave, he had been under a time constraint – he'd only counted on a few days until Momochi Zabuza recovered from his near-death experience, and so had used Naruto and Sasuke's competitive nature to force themselves to improve faster.

This time… well, it would be easier in the long run for Naruto not to form that bond with his rival.

Speaking of bonds…

"Follow me," he said to Sakura, before leading her to a small swampy pond sitting in a low place in the field. Kakashi made sure not to so much as pause at the edge, but continued walking upon the water's surface until he reached the middle. He turned to find Sakura staring at him, wide-eyed from the bank.

Never underestimate the power of a cool first impression.

"This is the next level from the tree exercise," he explained. "Water walking is significantly different than tree walking."

"Yes, sensei."

Sakura winced as she placed her sandaled foot on the scummy water. It sunk in and she jerked back to the bank immediately. "Kakashi-sensei, can't we do this somewhere… cleaner?"

"Maa…" He scratched the back of his head and pretended to think about it. "I considered taking you to train in the bathing pools, but I'm not sure they'd let me into the woman's side. You'd have to join me in the—"

Sakura let out a sound that was half gasp, half mortified squeak. "No! Nevermind. This is – I'll be fine."

She approached the pond again – this time her sandal made a distinct squelching sound in the soft mud. Sakura bit her lip, looking over her shoulders back towards the line of trees; more specifically to where Sasuke had been left training. Her determination seemed almost to leech right out of her. "But if I fall into the water, I'll get dirty…"

"Then it's important you don't fall in, isn't it?"

"But Sasuke-kun will see me get muddy. He—"

"Is not here." Kakashi cut in, letting threads of steel creep into his voice. "He is, no doubt, training furiously with no thought of you whatsoever."

She gasped. "How can you say that?"

Because the only time Sasuke had thought of Sakura was when he had deliberately taken a pause from helping to destroy Konoha to disfigure her.

Kakashi eyed this version of his former assistant coolly. "Why do you want to be a kunoichi?"

She instinctively straightened under his gaze. "Sasuke-kun is so cool, and I—"

"Sasuke came afterwards. Why did you enroll in the academy?"

The girl's brows knit for a moment, and then she dropped her eyes. "When I was young, my mother took me shopping at the market. On our way home a man stopped us and tried to steal our groceries. He had a knife and he shoved my mother down and… and I was so scared, but then a kunoichi came and chased him off. She was only a genin, but she was already so strong…" Sakura trailed off and lifted her chin. Her eyes met Kakashi's. "When we got home I asked my parents to enroll me in the academy. I wanted to do be strong like the one who had saved us. To help people."

Kakashi let her last sentence ring out in the air between them for a long moment. Then he took a deliberate step back on the water's surface in clear invitation for her to join him. "In order to walk on water," he said, "you must provide a steady flow of chakra to your feet. This exercise is especially vital for you as you have the least stamina out of your teammates. If you do this exercise on a daily basis you will be able to build your reserves."

He wasn't imagining the new spark of interest behind Sakura's green eyes. Balling her fists to her sides, she nodded once, as if to herself, and stepped onto the water.

And promptly sank up to her knees in filthy pond water. "Eeeee! Sensei!"

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

It took nearly the entire afternoon for Sakura to learn the trick. By the time she was able to wobble out to the middle of the pond – arms spread for balance – she was muddy from waist down; her red dress nearly stained black from a combination of brown goop and green algae. There was another smear of mud on her forehead where she had brushed her bangs away from her face with a dirty hand, but she was grinning – panting and triumphant.

Kakashi eyed her approach over the top of his book. He had taken advantage of the warm sunny day to stand out in the water, ignoring the several large fish which had taken to nipping where his pale toes poked out from his sandals and nearly unbalancing him twice – not that an inexperienced eye would be able to tell.

"Your left leg is a half centimeter shorter than your right," he observed. "Compensate for it."

Sakura nodded and her next few steps were noticeably steadier. "It feels a little like sliding across a frozen puddle in winter." She eyed Kakashi's feet, the large fish circling under, and his casual stance with more than a little jealousy. "How do you stay so steady, Kakashi-sensei?"

He crinkled his eye at her. "Practice." And with that, he made a lazy, one-handed swipe at her with his book, intending to whap her upside the head.

Sakura gasped and fell awkwardly to the side to avoid the blow, arms pinwheeling. It was a lost cause and she would have gone under, but for some instinctual reaction which made her channel chakra to her hands. Her palms struck the surface of the water and stayed there just as if she had landed on firm soil.

Sakura blinked in surprise and levered herself back up – well out of his arm's reach, Kakashi noted, with amusement.

Once she was standing straight, she fixed the jounin with a glare. "That wasn't very fair at all, Sensei!"

"Just testing your reflexes," he replied, with a breezy wave of his hand. "You were the only one not to attack me during the bell test. I wanted to test your taijutsu skills."

"… Right here?" she asked, arms still spread for balance. It was clear she was doing everything she could just to stay up.

"Maa, you never know when a fight will be taken to the water." Or when a certain bridge builder lies about the risks in a mission…

Sakura hesitated again, throwing one last long look over her shoulder at the trees. But her eyes weren't filled with longing – she seemed to be simply checking to make sure Sasuke wasn't there to watch in case she slipped and fell into the pond. Then, just before Kakashi had about decided to force the issue by making her defend herself, she launched at him with an efficient side-kick.

Their sparring session was short: Sakura had none of Sasuke's innate talent, nor did she have any of Naruto's sloppy bad habits. Kakashi barely had to expend any energy to defend himself, of course, but noted that she had seemed to have mastered the academy basics.

Mildly impressive, considering she had no shinobi family to practice against.

But it was no more than a few minutes before Kakashi called for a halt. Sakura's chakra levels were minimal at this stage and she was nearly bent over double with her hands on her thighs, panting. The toes of her sandals had slipped under the water line and the large koi underneath seemed to be circling more hopefully.

"You did well," he granted and gestured to the muddy bank. "We will continue this tomorrow, before your next mission."

"Yes, Sensei," she gasped, and would have collapsed the moment she reached solid ground if he had not caught her elbow and guided her to sit and rest for a minute.

As it was, he felt more or less obligated to escort her home. Jounin-sensei's were mostly allowed any training regiment they thought necessary up to and including the cruel and unusual, but Kakashi knew he couldn't afford to be put under the Sandaime's watchful eye if one of his student's fainted in the street on the way home.

Sakura's family lived in a pretty little cottage in one of the new parts of the village, rebuilt after the Kyuubi attack. Mrs. Haruno answered the door and took in the sight of her pale, exhausted, mud-soaked daughter in the presence of an unfamiliar masked man and immediately set her eyes to kill.

Kakashi returned their glare with a look of complete indifference.

"Mom, Kakashi-sensei taught me how to walk on water today," Sakura said. Her voice was a wisp of its usual self, but her grin was wide enough to light her entire face.

Something very deep, hidden, and small glowed briefly in Kakashi's heart. It came and went too fast for him to identify.

"Oh? Is that so?" Sakura's mother said, then she turned to Kakashi with a much kinder expression and bowed. "Thank you, honored Shinobi-san."

He simply shrugged a reply, and it was only when he was halfway back to the training grounds did he realize that Sakura hadn't mentioned "Sasuke-kun" the entire trip back. Perhaps the tiny seed had begun to sprout, after all.

Kakashi smiled very slyly to himself, underneath his mask.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

He half expected to find Naruto passed out from falling halfway up the tree and hitting his fool head too many times. But either not pitting him against Sasuke had caused him not to push himself as hard, or the ground was simply softer here than Wave country, because Naruto was still at practice, and greeted him with a happy yell.

The boy did have a bruise or two, but it was nothing that the Kyuubi wouldn't have completely healed in a few hours. Naruto's progress was slow: the cuts of the kunai reaching only just above the height of Kakashi's head.

He sent him off for the day after a, "Well done," and a reminder that training began again at eight in the morning (or whenever they managed to find him, first).

Then Kakashi ambled off in search of his third student.

He found Sasuke leaning, arms crossed, against his tree as if he were waiting for his sensei's arrival. He had managed to make it further up than Naruto – although not by very much. His highest cut was only struck halfway up the trunk.

"Good," Kakashi intoned, not particularly caring. "We'll meet at the training grounds again at eight. You're dismissed."

The last Uchiha didn't budge. He narrowed his eyes. "What were you teaching Sakura?"

"Advanced chakra control techniques," Kakashi replied.

"Teach me."

Kakashi curved his eye. "No."

The boy grit his teeth, using shoulders to push of from the bark. "Why not?"

There were a number of reasons why not, the most pressing being that Kakashi simply didn't like wasting his time. There was much use in teaching new tricks to a soon-to-be- dead boy.

He only replied, "Because I said so," with another eye-smile.

"I can learn both exercises at the same time," Sasuke insisted. He stepped forward, every line in his body tight, hands into indignant fists at his time. "I can learn faster than the others."

"Will you?" Kakashi murmured. And then it occurred to him – in a round about way, that he didn't have a memory of Sasuke asking for additional training before. Then again, it any training that the boy wanted had been freely given – including Kakashi's own Chidori.

Well, he wouldn't be making that mistake twice.

He saw a flicker of hope in Sasuke's dark eyes – he had misread Kakashi's inner reflection as hesitation.

"I was the number one rookie in the academy," Sasuke pressed. "I'll make it worth your while to teach me. I'm strong and I need to become stronger."

Stronger and stronger, until his quest for power leads him to abandon the village. Turn his back on his village and declare war on his own comrades.

"Your needs mean nothing to me." Kakashi's heard his own voice as if from a strange distance. Cold and flat. The boy's eyes widened a fraction. He seemed unsure.

Kakashi's weapon-pouch had three dozen shuriken, fourteen razor sharp kunais, two bundles of chakra wire and one pad of chakra paper. He didn't need any of it. From this distance, he could kill Sasuke with his bare hands.

It took an effort of will for Kakashi to turn away. "We'll meet with the rest of Team Seven at eight."

And with that, Kakashi walked off into the gathering darkness, feeling the Uchiha's eyes drill into his back well until he was out of sight.

* * *

**Next: **Now that Naruto and Sakura have had their chapter in the spotlight, I guess it's Sasuke's turn… ;D (Will Kakashi remain cold towards him? Team Seven's first mission is coming up, and Sasuke's neck is literally on the line. Whahaha. Stay tuned!)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes**: Sorry about the wait, everyone! Kakashi is a tough nut to crack and while I knew how I wanted this chapter to play out, it still took awhile to get it where I wanted it to be emotionally.

* * *

Kakashi took his time meandering to the training grounds. It was a fine morning with the sounds of birds chirping, the air sweet with cherry-tree blossoms. The last few weeks had kept him busy; Team Seven had been successful in finding his hidden locations within a few hours the last three days out of four.

All in all, Kakashi had been good at arriving on time – more or less – and thought he was due for a break. Let the kids spend awhile wandering around trying to find someone who wasn't there. It would teach them critical thinking.

But it seemed the fates would not allow him a peaceful morning. Kakashi was Jounin – he had been Hokage in another lifetime. So he was instantly aware, as he walked from the populous village and towards the direction of the memorial stone, that he was being followed.

Kakashi let it go on for a block or two, feigning unconcern as he slowly moved from a more populated area a place where he'd have room to maneuver – to act. When he reached the outskirts of the training grounds, he stopped and carefully tucked his book away. He did not bother to glance back as he asked, "Why aren't you with your teammates?"

"Tch." Sasuke stepped out from behind the trunk of a tree, arms crossed over his chest and what looked to be a thin manila file in one hand. "I don't need them. I found this." And with a flick of his wrist he tossed the file onto the ground between them.

Kakashi did not bend to pick it up. He saw at a glance what it was: every shinobi in the village had a double-set of files. The first was under lock and key at the records office – non-critical information, mostly; including clan names, blood type, number and rank of missions and other meaningless trivia. These were kept under watch by a group of bureaucratic chuunin and genin… which meant that any shinobi of skill could get his hands on a file. They were practically public.

The second set of files, with top secret or sensitive information was kept under direct supervision of the Hokage and a strike-team of ANBU.

Sasuke has purloined the first, the non-critical file.

But judging by the smirk tugging at Sasuke's lips, he thought he discovered a great secret. "You have the sharingan," he said, smugly. "Teach me how to develop mine."

Kakashi looked mildly at him, every muscle in his body deceptively loose, as if he didn't care. Inwardly, he was scanning the surrounding area for chakra signatures – wondering if there were to be any witnesses if he snapped the little fool's neck. "No."

Sasuke stepped forward, putting himself unthinkingly in Kakashi's easy reach. It would be so easy for him to end this now…

"You have it, though" the boy pressed. "You have the sharingan, but you're not an Uchiha. Show it to me."

"Return to your teammates, Sasuke." Kakashi said, his voice like steel. "That is an order."

Sasuke's arrogant mask cracked – his smirk faltered and Kakashi clearly caught a flash of frustration as the boy's hands went into fists at his sides. "You give extra training to the idiot and Sakura. I can—I _will _learn quickly, do whatever is asked!"

It was the most Kakashi had ever heard Sasuke say – short of when he had gone insane, and he was shocked for a moment into silence.

Sasuke went on, "You've taught Sakura to water-walk and… I am an Uchiha! Why do you ignore me? It's not fair!"

"Fair," Kakashi repeated, the word bitter on his tongue. Since when was life, especially the life of a shinobi, fair? Was it fair when Obito died? That Minato-sensei gave his life without ever knowing his son? Was it fair that Kakashi's future star-pupil abandoned the village only to come back to see it destroyed? What was fair?

Perhaps that was why Kakashi pushed his headband up.

The Sharingan recorded everything and never forgot. When he opened Obito's eye to look at Sasuke, he was treated to a double-image. Sasuke, older, taller, as he was during the final moments of the battle – just before he had faced Naruto for the last time: blood of his former friends on his hands, more streaming down his mangekyou sharingan eyes. Laughing… laughing and utterly inane.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He could sense no one around within easy hearing distance. A minor effort of will and he could flash step behind the boy, one hand over Sasuke's mouth to cover any scream. Kakashi's other hand could grab a kunai from his weapon pouch, draw it across his neck. It would be over in less than a minute and there were any number of Earth jutsu's he knew of that would handle the cleanup, cover the scent of blood. He could—

Sasuke let out a ragged breath and the sound brought Kakashi back into himself. He was still standing in the field, weapons put away and hands clean of blood.

And he was emitting killing intent – dark and cold.

Sasuke's eyes were fixed on him and so wide the whites were showing. He tried to take a step back, but his legs buckled in terror and he fell back, gasping as if he couldn't breathe.

In a flash Kakashi recovered his sharingan and clamped down on the killing intent - it was harder than it should have been – and after it was gone he felt as if he had been hollowed out to nothing but a shell.

"That," Kakashi heard himself say, "is the Sharingan."

He turned and strode away, leaving the boy sitting there stunned on the ground. It was a retreat, although he wasn't sure that Sasuke would see it that way. What Kakashi had almost done, on a whim and in full daylight, and the pleasure he would have taken in doing it… alarmed him.

Kakashi's hands were shaking and Kakashi slipped them into his pocket, hoping no one would see.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

In the old days, before he had accidentally trained a sociopath, become Hokage to a broken village and come back to try it all over again, Kakashi would have retreated to the solitude of his apartment. It was small and rather sterile, but an adequate hideaway. He had spent weeks at a time there in the past, pulling his spirit back together after particularly hard ANBU missions.

Now, however, his apartment felt too tiny – too quiet. The lack of noise reminded him of the days of silence following Madara and Sasuke's final attack. There just hadn't been enough people left to make noise.

He had been a loner practically all of his life and for the first time Kakashi needed the sound of people to feel comforted. It was odd, and strange for him.

He picked a restaurant at random, barely glancing up at the name and sitting himself down at the end of the bar – waving away the owner when he came to take his order. He wasn't here to eat: he was here to think.

Kakashi slouched, chin in his hand with his other lightly drumming upon the top of the bar. He had been a chuunin since he was six years old. Killing was a fact of life – he had done enough of it while in ANBU, and had never taken any pleasure in it. Occasionally, there were slight stirrings remorse. But never pleasure.

It would have felt very good to kill Sasuke. Too good.

Kakashi had put down monsters before, but never had he felt personal vindication for it.

There was a quiet murmur to the side of him as the owner welcomed a new customer and asked what he would be eating.

"Just the usual, Teuchi," said a familiar voice and Kakashi jerked his head up to see Iruka take his seat at the bar only a seat down. The Chuunin carried with him a thick stack of papers and offered a smile as he met Kakashi's gaze.

"Hello Kakashi-sensei," he said politely. "I've never seen you here before."

"Iruka-sensei," replied, not bothering to acknowledge the unsaid question, and went back to his thoughts.

The ramen shop owner returned a few minutes later with a steaming bowl and set it before Iruka. The chuunin ate quickly, his free hand grading what looked to be simple tests. And even though Kakashi had been sitting there first he somehow felt that he was intruding.

Iruka spoke just as he decided to leave.

"You have _that_ look on your face."

Kakashi's turned to him, eyebrow lifted. "I was not aware you could see under my mask, sensei."

The chuunin didn't even glance up from the paperwork. "I don't need to see your face to know you have that look. It's one I've worn myself. What happened?"

For a moment, Kakashi wasn't sure if he could even answer. He hadn't known Iruka well in the previous timeline, aside from his association from Naruto. Even then, he was under the impression that the man could hardly stand him – probably as a result from the disastrous chuunin exam. And by the time Kakashi had become hokage, Iruka was another name on the memorial stone.

The Iruka of old had never smiled at him, would certainly not take up conversation in public. Kakashi had come back in time to make changes, but this was... unexpected.

"How do you know something has happened?" Ask a question with a question. It was the easiest way to keep control in a conversation.

"You're here and not with your team," Iruka said simply. "Naruto would have told me if you had a habit of not showing up for team training."

Kakashi nearly smiled at the irony, then tipped his head in acknowledgment. "Have you ever failed a student because you knew he would never be ready?"

Iruka snorted. "Are you kidding? I failed Naruto three times... but this isn't about him, is it." The chuunin looked up for the first time, his dark eyes searching. Kakashi didn't answer, and after a moment Iruka went back at his grading, his expression troubled. "Children are like an unstained sheet of paper, Kakashi-sensei," he said, quietly. "It is our job to make marks, and erase others... if we can."

Briefly, Kakashi wondered what he had seen in his gaze – what had troubled Iruka, so. But asking would only draw more attention to it and besides, this conversation was edging too close to the truth for his comfort.

"Thank you, sensei. I'll remember that," he said, and stood to leave.

For the first time since he had traveled back in time, he felt the weight of years on his shoulders. It felt, in that moment, Kakashi carried with him the burden of the whole village.

"Kakashi-sensei," Iruka said. "This may seem forward, but… if you ever need to talk. I'm here."

Kakashi hardly knew what to say to that, so he said nothing at all; simply inclining his head at the other man before he left.

* * *

**OoOoOoO**

**

* * *

**

Kakashi had never really had the opportunity to explore what remained of the Uchiha compound – certainly never while it had been filled with the powerful, secretive clan. And he had never bothered after Itachi had slaughtered them all.

As he walked up to the compound, and easily over twenty-foot walls which had once been jealously guarded, He was struck anew by how many buildings there were – all empty, wasted space rotting in the wind. It would be too much to expect a small family to do the upkeep, much less one orphaned boy.

It was almost like a small village in of itself, and as Kakashi meandered along, he wondered about the wisdom of allowing Sasuke to stay here, alone, with only the ghosts of his past for company.

He himself had wanted to stay in the old Hatake residence after his father had died, but Minato-sensei wouldn't hear of it. He'd packed up Kakashi and-

His line of thought skidded to a halt as he sensed a slight spark of chakra coming directly from behind him. Kakashi half turned, raising a kunai in an almost lazy arc and struck three shuriken out of the air.

He turned fully around to see his attacker: Sasuke stood twenty feet away, arrogant in his stance, but his pale face ashen – obviously still frightened from his last encounter. He should be.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi waved his hand, airily. "Jounin-sensei's prerogative."

The boy's face remained blank, but he shifted his weight slightly – a non-verbal tell showing how uneasy he was. "The request is already in, and I refuse to take it back."

"Take what back?" Kakashi asked, and then watched in dark amusement as Sasuke's eyes widened, and he looked around, as if seeking an escape. Of course, there was none.

"The request for transfer, to learn under a new sensei." To his credit, Sasuke raised his chin in another show of arrogance despite the fact he was so afraid. "One who will actually teach me."

Kakashi went quiet for a moment, staring down at the boy. "It won't be approved." Which was the truth, for a number of reasons. Chief among them that Sasuke was assigned to Kakashi due to his sharingan knowledge. Secondly because he had tried the same thing when he was ten and Minato-sensei refused to recommend him for the Jounin exam. Sensei's were more or less given free reign in training their students. It was only in extreme cases (read: Orochimaru's human experiments) that such a request might be considered.

Sasuke clenched his fists. "I was told that the Sandaime would look into it."

Where it would be denied, but Kakashi didn't bother to say that.

This... complicated things, somewhat. Left a paper-trail. If the last Uchiha turned up dead, there would be more questions than usual.

_"Children are like an unstained sheet of paper, Kakashi-sensei. It is our job to make marks, and erase others... if we can."_

Iruka's words from earlier came back to him, unheeded and unexpected. It gave Kakashi another pause.

"Answer a question, Sasuke." Kakashi said, quietly. "Why do you want to be a shinobi?"

The boy jerked, surprised. "Why?" he asked, and looked around the empty houses in disbelief. As if were all of the answer he needed. He too, was silent for a moment, lips pressed into an angry line. Then said, "So no other families go through what I did."

That answer surprised him. He'd expected something along the lines of: "To avenge my kin. To wipe away the memory of my clan so that it is purified and so that no one will look down at us again..." or some of his other, more mad ravings he'd done towards the end.

But this...

Kakashi frowned under his mask, feeling a small shred of doubt take shape in his brain. It seemed those were opinions which had formed in him over time.

Sasuke was still staring at him, his expression that of someone bracing himself to be laughed at. He had no idea he had just saved his own life.

Kakashi simply shrugged. "Your request for transfer will be denied," he repeated again. "But if you are willing to learn – if you want to prove yourself to me, then arrive in the training grounds with your team, tomorrow." He turned to leave.

"Will you teach me the sharingan?" Sasuke asked, hopefully.

"No." Kakashi said simply, over his shoulder as he walked away. "But if you pay close attention, you may earn something better." Respect. Teamwork. But he didn't say any of that out loud.

Those things, the last Uchiha would have to learn for himself.

And Kakashi would teach him that. Or kill him trying.

* * *

**Next time: **Kakashi may be training his students in new ways, but Team 7 still have surprises in store...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes:** Yes, yes, I realize this chapter is incredibly short. What can I say? I wanted something easy and light to get back into the flow for this story after my unexpectedly long hiatus. I realize I'll probably get some bitching about the length, but you gotta break back in somehow amirite?

**Note2:** So apparently this site didn't upload the file the first time around. Grrrr. I got home to over twenty PMs. Sorry for the tease, guys!

* * *

Kakashi was on the hunt.

Over the last few weeks, Team Seven had excelled in finding all of his hidey holes in the forest – Naruto's burgeoning chakra sensing techniques, Sakura's new found determination and Sasuke's (admittedly reluctant) teamwork having combined to make them effective.

But they had so far been looking for an impassive target, one which sad and read while the children stumbled about. This wasn't realistic. The target usually ran... or fought back.

Kakashi concentrated on dampening his chakra while he peeked out from his hiding place in the brush. Naruto sat crouched in the clearing beyond, and watching him, Kakashi felt a brush of disappointment. Team Seven was not yet the unit it had become following the Wave mission and the Chuunin exams, but Kakashi had made it clear they were to hunt him as a team.

And here Naruto was, not searching for his sensei, but sitting down and fiddling with something that Kakashi couldn't quite see.

Kakashi's lips pressed together under his mask. Silently, he removed a slightly dulled shruiken from his pack. He wouldn't hit Naruto anywhere vital – just painful. The buttocks, perhaps.

But there was something... different about the boy today. Something off about him that set the fine hair on the back of his neck to rising. Kakashi stilled and like the patient hunter he was, waited.

The boy was muttering quietly to himself, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he scribbled onto a slip of paper.

Kakashi's eye widened slightly when he realized what it had to be: an exploding tag.

Those were notoriously temperamental to make by hand – almost impossible for someone with Naruto's sloppy handwriting. In fact –

It only took one errant brush stroke, and a wisp of smoke drifted from the tag. Then predictably, it exploded with a small _boom_, knocking Naruto flat on his back.

Then Naruto... he poofed out of existence as well.

It had been a shadow clone.

Kakashi replaced the shuriken back in his pack and slowly stood, scratching the back of his head in thought. In the last timeline it had been years before Naruto realized the advantages of training with shadow clones – and Kakashi had been the one to show him.

He had his reasons for not taking Naruto down that path just yet. The boy needed some small amount of finesse before he began to train at an accelerated pace.

And yet... and yet... It seemed Naruto had already begun to grasp the concept himself, without Kakashi's help. And earlier. Most surprising ninja, indeed.

Perhaps it was a sign that things were changing.


	7. Chapter 7

If this story had named chapters this one would be "Two steps forward, one step back (and another step forward)".

* * *

With the boy's finally graduated from tree climbing without hands to water walking, Kakashi pulled out one of his old tricks and set himself comfortably upon the bank of the pond with a nearby book, to let his students do the hard work. He had no wish to get soaked from Naruto's flailing and Sasuke's overcompensation.

The art of multitasking was one all Jounin must master, and one Kakashi was particularly adept at. So, from his safe (and dry) place, he kept one eye on his novel, one eye on Naruto who was unsuccessfully trying not to dirty his new pants in muck, and one eye on Sakura and Sasuke's Taijutsu sparing match.

Paying close attention to three things at once was nothing new to him, so Kakashi felt his mind wander back to the immediate problem of Naruto. How to find out who exactly had been teaching his student behind his back? Trick Naruto into telling him? Surveillance?

Who was he kidding? This was _Naruto_. Worse, Naruto at a young age. Kakashi may as well ask him outright. Or, better yet, bribe him with raman.

Ah, but then Iruka-sensei would surely get on him for ruining Naruto's dinner. The man's involvement in Naruto's life was convenient as Kakashi did not have room in his apartment or in his heart to raise the boy himself, but Iruka's tendency to mother-hen—

He was so deep in his thoughts he nearly missed the nerve punch Sasuke aimed at Sakura during their spar - a little too low and surprisingly sloppy for someone of his caliber – and how Sakura dodged back, neat and effortless.

Her green eyes were half-lidded in concentration as she swept a foot forward. Dirty water flung in Sasuke's face. Instead of stepping back and regaining his footing as was proper, he stood his ground, clearly not viewing the girl as any sort of a threat, and paused to wipe the mud from his eyes. But Sakura was already in motion in her next move; her open hand struck his face with a resounding crack that echoed across the water.

Sasuke flew backwards, losing his chakra control all together and fell under the surface of the water.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked, her hand covering her mouth in horror.

Kakashi stood to his feet in a flash. Not because he worried about Sasuke – drowning would solve more problems then it would create. But because he was worried about the boy's retaliation.

A vision of Sakura as his reliable assistant as he'd last seen her in the other timeline: dependable, sharp, organized, and disfigured for life due to Sasuke' fire jutsu flashed in front of his eyes. It was only Kakashi's cautious nature that kept him from flash-stepping over to her aid.

"Yeah!" Naruto crowed, pumping a fist in the air and losing concentration at the same time. He sunk up to his chest in the water, but didn't seem to mind. "That's great, Sakura-chan! Can I hit him next?"

Sasuke resurfaced after a few moments, his dark hair running into his eyes. He looked angry.

"I-I'm so sorry," Sakura whimpered. She danced from foot to foot in anxiety, and darted forward with her hand extended. "Let me help you up."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "It's fine." Ignoring her hand completely, he turned and swam to the bank in a perfect breast stroke. "I don't want your help." And Kakashi caught sight of one half of Sasuke's face, flaming red.

He turned to comment on Sakura's form, but the girl's bottom lip was trembling. She looked down at her own hands, as if not recognizing them. "Sasuke-kun," she said again, and turned away to sprint across the surface of the pond and across the field in the opposite direction, loudly crying.

"Hey!" Naruto called, "Sakura, come back! Don't let that bastard get you down!" but she was long gone.

Naruto and Kakashi shared a long look.

"What's wrong with her?" Naruto wondered aloud, and Kakashi found himself silently wondering the same thing.

* * *

**OOOOO**

* * *

Kurenai threw back her head and laughed.

Kakashi eyed her over the edge of his novel, his eye cold and not amused.

"Apologies, Kakashi-san," she said, stifling her giggles and taking up a napkin from the table they were sitting at to dab at her tearing eyes. "It's only... you really don't know girls, do you?"

"I don't know why I should," Kakashi said, mildly. "I've never been one."

Asuma's cigarette ticked in his mouth as he smiled. "That's a fair point, Kurenai."

"It was more than a lucky shot," Kakashi said. More than just Sasuke's arrogance by not getting out of danger while blinded. His normal eye didn't have the exact recording capabilities as his Sharingan, but Kakashi had a good memory. "She had excellent form – nearly perfect chakra control."

Asuma nodded. "She would make a good healer."

As Asuma and Kurenai were both long dead in the timeline Kakashi had come from, but their son had become a prodigy of his own... Kakashi forgave his fellow Jounin for not seeing underneath the underneath.

Kurenai seemed to have gotten control of herself. "She was upset because she hurt the boy she likes and now she's frightened he may not like her back."

Kakashi stared. "It was a sparring match. People get hit."

"As I said." She smiled. "You don't know girls that age, Kakashi."

Asuma nodded, unconsciously tilting his body towards Kurenai. Really, how no one had guessed how they felt for each other was unimaginable. Even Kakashi had known the first time around – he simply hadn't cared. "Your best bet is to drop her off at the hospital for a few hours a day, and have her learn the basics. Let the boys rough each other up. Those are your fighters. She can come in as backup and medical help if needed."

Kakashi kept his expression blank (an easy thing to do with a mask, it was a surprise not everyone had one). He excused himself as reasonably quickly as possible and meandered his way back through the bustling village, deep in thought.

At one time he would have agreed with Asuma's assessment. Even in the future, Sakura had been a dedicated healer – not the genius Tsunade was, but anyone would have been proud to have her on their team.

Yet she had managed a strike on the Uchiha.

Kakashi brought forward the memory again – Sakura's half lidded eyes, for once free of doubt or worry about who thought what about her. She had used her advantage of chakra control and then had not hesitated in taking the hit after Sasuke faltered.

A talented healer... yes. But Kakashi was willing to bet there was a taijutsu genius locked away in there as well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes**: This is the last of the major manipulations. After this chapter, the real fun begins. *rubs hands together*

* * *

Gai's eyes filled with manly tears. "My Most Hip and Determined Rival!" he gushed. "I Would Be Honored to Take on your Cute and Talented Student for Supplemental Taijutsu Training!"

"Yes, yes," Kakashi said around a yawn. "But I draw the line at a green spandex suit." He'd had quite the talk with Kurenai yesterday, and learned that there were many tools of diplomacy in a ninja toolbox. The last thing he wanted to do was scare-off Sakura completely from a Shinobi career.

Gai beamed, and all of his teeth flashed brilliantly in the sun. "No Need To Worry. I Will Start Slowly With Her - Only Three Hours A Day! Starting At 5 AM! The Body Reaches The Pinnacle of Youth At First Sun's Light! And," he lowered his voice from Gai-level to something almost normal and looked around to make sure their conversation was not being overheard by his students. "I would be most appreciative if you could take Neji aside for additional training. He most talented at taijutsu, but-" a brief grimace of pain flashed across his face "- there are certain similarities between the Byakugan and the Sharingan which I cannot train..."

Kakashi held up his hand, forestalling Gai from having to say any more. He figured this would be a tit-for-tat situation. He had his own reasons for foisting Sakura temporarily on his friend/rival: She may be less stifled by trying to impress Sasuke, and Gai's other female genin was strong. Ten-Ten would be an equally good influence.

Neji had his own set of issues, if Kakashi remembered correctly. The Hyuga family arrogance was a rival for any Uchiha. And Neji had a fatalistic streak. Well, Kakashi knew how to knock a few heads.

"Send him to me when my team is on their afternoon D-ranks." He would spar with the kid, rough him up enough to show that experience and dedication (and a little old fashioned cheating) could beat any natural bloodline. Hopefully Gai would end up with a humbler student.

Or maybe he'd just pit Neji against Naruto. It worked the last time.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

All in all, Kakashi meandered his way into the training grounds for Team 7 in a fine mood. He even considered not having his team look for him today - consider it a holiday for a job well done.

His finely attuned ears caught the sound of a distant shriek. Specifically, Saukra's high, surprised voice. It was joined a moment later by Naruto's shocked yell.

Kakashi didn't hesitate. He blurred through the branches and trees at high speed, his mind already working furiously ahead. Memories of insane laughter, blood leaking out of Sharingan eyes and Sasuke's wide-stretched grin as he tried to kill everyone in his path...

Kakashi erupted out into the clearing in a flash, startling Naruto into tripping over a limp, dark-haired form which was laying on the ground. Sakura turned to him, wringing her hands with her eyes brimming with tears.

"Sensei! It's Sasuke-kun!"

It _was_ Sasuke, but he clearly hadn't been attacking his teammates. The boy lay on his side upon the ground, completely unresponsive. If anything, he looked like he had been the one attacked.

Kakashi forced himself to take a deep breath, and, stuffing his hands casually into his pockets, strode out to them. He looked dispassionately down at the unconscious boy. "What happened?"

Sakura and Naruto exchanged a look, hesitating. Kakashi repeated himself, allowing an edge to creep into his voice. "What happened?"

"It's... it's not my fault!" Naruto exclaimed. "I was making clones-"

"Showing off!" Sakura sniffed, bending down to brush a twig out of the unconscious boy's hair.

"It's not showing off if you're really good at it, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said. "Anyway, Sasuke-bastard said my shadow clones weren't like real clones. Not the normal type anyway. And he wanted to know how I did it and... and..." He looked miserably down at his teammate.

Chakra-exhaustion. Hardly any twelve-year-old would have the resources to create one shadow clone, and if Kakashi had to guess, Sasuke would have been arrogant enough to try multiples at one time just like Naruto.

Kakashi prodded Sasuke with the toe of one foot and watched the boy's breathing come out, shallow but regular. "He's not dead." Unfortunately. "But if I recall, there is a reason why you learned this technique in a _forbidden_ scroll, ne Naruto?"

"Forbidden?" Sakura gasped, a hand to her mouth. She then turned to berate Naruto, who hung his head in misery.

Kakashi knelt down, pretending to check over Sasuke. In reality, he needed a moment to think. He had not remembered Naruto and Sasuke ever trading training tips in the other timeline, even in the height of their friendship. They had always been rivals - something that Kakashi had originally fostered through his own training with them.

Yet this Naruto had been willing to _teach_ Sasuke. What was more, this Sasuke had actually asked to be taught.

Kakashi wasn't entirely certain if this was a good thing or bad thing, but it was different. Unexpected. An indicator that changes in the timeline were already taking effect.

Sakura and Naruto hushed as Kakashi turned Sasuke on his back and went through a rapid series of seals. He was no medic, but he did have some field medic jutsu. There was a crude transfer of chakra one could use to revive a fallen comrade. It wouldn't be enough to return Sasuke to full power, but he should be able to get back onto his feet.

Kakashi's hand briefly glowed green as he gathered his personal chakra and sent it zapping through the boy's chest, near the area around his heart. Sasuke's entire body jerked as if given a small electric shock.

And Kakashi felt it.

It was his chakra being absorbed, and so he felt for the briefest of moments the entirety of the boy's chakra pathways. The smooth efficiency and the potential in them.

And what he felt, the way Sasuke's body absorbed his energy and channeled it with hardly any loss... shouldn't have been possible.

Sasuke's eyes flew open. He took a single, deep breath and in seconds Sakura was pulling him into her arms, crying and hugging him. The boy tried to bat her away, weakly, but Kakashi was too stunned by what he had just felt to find amusement in his discomfort.

Then again... Sasuke in the other timeline had been a natural at highly complex, highly controlled jutsu. Kakashi had never expected... well. Neither, apparently, had anyone else.

"Your chakra has been depleted," Kakashi intoned, as soon as a scowling Naruto had pulled Sakura off of Sasuke to let him breathe. "You will be useless for the rest of the day. Go home, eat, and rest. Then meet me at the bridge tomorrow at six in the morning to go over your revised training."

It was probably a mark about how poorly Sasuke was feeling that he didn't frown or try to argue about being sent away. Slowly, painfully, he got to his feet and walked out of the clearing. It would probably take him an hour or more to get home. Another jounin-sensei might volunteer to escort him, but... Kakashi's limit on charitably had shallow reserves.

He turned back to eye his other two students. "You," he said, pointing at Naruto, "Have a D-rank mission to complete. Because of your foolishness and almost getting your teammate killed, it will be by yourself."

"What!" Naruto squawked. "No fair!"

Kakashi ignored him, looking to Sakura who cringed. "You," he said, "have specialized training with Gai-sensei starting at five in the morning tomorrow.

"G-Gai-sensei?" she repeated, in confusion and not horror. He had forgotten that she had not had the time to get to know him yet in this timeline.

"He meets his students at the village gates. After your training is done with him, you will join with your team here for the rest of the day," Kakashi said, then rose to leave. "You are both dismissed for the day."

"Hey wait!" Naruto yelled. "Where are you going? We haven't trained at all today!"

Kakashi didn't answer, but simply raised his hand in a farewell as he walked out of the clearing. Naruto and Sakura could take care of themselves. He had to prepare tomorrow for their third teammate.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

When Sasuke arrived at the bridge at six o'clock exactly, Kakashi noticed he looked a little pale, but not worse for wear.

"Will you be teaching me how to activate the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked, with terribly feigned disinterest as Kakashi started to lead him to their destination.

Kakashi's eye crinkled in a smile. "Not on your life."

The boy scowled, his shoulders hunching in disappointment. But he didn't say anymore and the rest of their walk went by in blessed silence.

The village hospital, when they arrived, was in a minor state of chaos. The head doctor detached herself from a group of clustered, anxious personnel, and came over to meet them. "Kakashi-san," she said with a bow. "Uchiha-san. How can I be of assistance?"

"What is going on?" Kakashi asked.

The doctor's face fell slightly. "It's terrible, Kakashi-san. One of our brightest genin student's was murdered last night in his bed. It is said," she looked around then lowered her voice, "the ANBU themselves are investigating and they found evidence which links him to... treason."

"I am shocked," Kakashi said gravely, inwardly patting himself on the back. Some of the evidence which linked Kabuto to Orochimaru had planted, but a small portion had been genuine. Either way, Kabuto would not grow to become any more of a threat to Konoha. Kakashi went on. "It would seem, then, that you have an opening for a genin-student trainee." He gestured to Sasuke. "I'd like to submit my student as an apprentice."

"What?" the doctor exclaimed.

"What," Sasuke said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes: Apologies for another short chapter. Real life... oy**. **Anyway, this should answer some of the questions a lot have brought up. :)**

* * *

"No," Sasuke said.

Kakashi sighed and tilted his head to the medic. "If you would excuse us?"

The medic, her eyebrows still raised, took a look from teacher to student before bowing and walking away. Kakashi waited until she was out of earshot to address Sasuke. "As your Jounin instructor, it is up to me to determine your path in training." And if Sasuke knew what was good for him, he would very well be grateful that this was the path Kakashi chose. "Furthermore," he added, seeing Sasuke open up his mouth to protest. "If you refuse I am cutting you from the team."

"Give me the secrets of the Sharingan and I'll comply," Sasuke said stubbornly.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "This is not a negotiation."

"This isn't fair!" Frustration made Sasuke's impassive mask crack. "You know my goals, you know that I must avenge my family's massacre and you want me to waste my time _healing_? I need to get stronger so I can defeat Itatchi."

At this, Kakashi paused. There were several ways he could think of to convince Sasuke, from the brutal to the tricky. There was no doubt that Sasuke was rather... Itachi-oriented, even to some degree after he switched his obsession to trying to destroy all of Konoha. He hated to do this, hated to indulge Sasuke's fixation, but it was the one path he knew would work.

"Itachi is already a master of the Sharingan," Kakashi said. "All you would be doing, as always, is playing catch up. Learning to heal is a more... subtle art, and it carries its own strengths. Consider that one of the great Sannin is also a healer."

"A woman," Sasuke scoffed.

Kakashi said nothing, but let the cold chill in the air speak for him for that kind of thinking. Wisely, Sasuke looked away.

"Consider as well," Kakashi continued, "That this is not an area that most nins have the natural talent or respect to study. Do you think Itachi knows anything but the most basic healing jutsu?" He paused and added significantly. "Do you think he will know how to defend against it, if it's turned against him?" Sasuke looked up at him again, blinking in surprise. "Think about it," Kakashi said. "And meet me at the bridge with the rest of the team tomorrow with your hospital schedule."

He vaguely remembered having to sign off on a couple of forms in the last timeline with Sakura.

He was not surprised in the least when Sasuke showed up with the rest of Team 7, still looking mutinous (for Sasuke), but holding a sheet of paper in his hand.

Kakashi was pleased to note that his hospital rotation started in the evening and extended into the late hours of the night. Not only would it not interfere with his training with him, or the D-rank missions scheduled afterwards. But the busy schedule should keep the little menace busy. Maybe forcing him to interact with people - sick, grouchy people who didn't care if the sun rose and set on the last Uchiha bloodline - on a daily basis would not lead him to be so self absorbed.

Or perhaps he would quit. Kakashi could work with either scenario.

There was always the threat that Sasuke could take the late, unlamented Kabuto's place, with a little medical jutsu of his own. But Kakashi would be watching for that, this time.

* * *

**OoOoO**

* * *

Sakura looked a little like death rolled over after her first training session with Gai's team. She all but slumped against the bridge railing, still panting from the morning's eariler workout, with her pink hair lank and sweaty against her forehead. Naurto was trying to fan her off with an overlarge frond.

Kakashi said nothing directly to her - she wasn't outright collapsing and he would make sure their training focused on mental exercises for the next few days to be sure she didn't strain something. He trusted Gai not to push her past her limits.

With Sakura and Sasuke's trainings now metered out for the conceivable future, it was time to set his mind once more on the problem of Naruto.

Kakashi had several options. He could follow Naruto covertly - a simple henge would do, the boy was still oblivious about his surroundings. Or he could create a few shadow clones. It would be a drain on Kakashi's chakra resources, but perhaps well worth it.

Then there was the problem of Iruka.

Naruto was as observant as a rock, but his guardian was a capable chunin.

And then there was the third option.

"Ne, Naruto, stay behind for a moment," Kakashi said, after his students were dismissed for the day; Sakura limping off in the direction of the women's baths and Sasuke making his sullen way to the hospital for the start of his first shift.

"I saw one of your clones using an exploding tag the other day," Kakashi went on casually.

Naruto brightened at once, his chest puffing out. "Iruka-sensei showed me how to make them. I'm getting awesome at it - believe it!"

Kakashi sighed.

* * *

**Notes: So! Will Kakashi confront Iruka? Will we get out of the training soon and focus on the first real mission? (Yes and yes.) Stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes**: After the events of the last manga chapter, I figure Kakashi deserves a decent meal. So there is a light Kakashi/Iruka part here. Also, I am sick of the ignorant, homophobic remarks I get on this fic whenever there is a Kakashi/Iruka chapter. Because you know what? You were **warned** in the notes on previous chapters (Chapters 1 and 2). So suck it up. And if you don't like it, see ya. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

To all of you who were like, "I don't like the pairing, but whatever, I'll give it a shot as long as it's not too romance-y." That's fine. You're cool people. The relationship is actually a developing friendship at this point, anyway. As I said in the notes of previous chapters, romance isn't the main focus of this story. This is a fic about time travel and the butterfly effect of putting Team Seven through different training.

* * *

Kakashi had known how to be sneaky even before he was old enough to cast his first jutsu. It was no problem at all to spy on Iruka-sensei as the chuunin made his way from the market, grocery bags in hand, to the home he and Naruto shared.

He didn't expect the water-clone of said sensei to pop out from behind a nearby bush, just as Kakashi was about to make his move. Or for Iruka himself to drop the bags of groceries, whirl around and throw a handful of throwing stars in perfect synchronization with his clone's attack.

Kakashi easily dispatched the clone, and struck the stars from the air with a lazy sweep of his kunai.

"Impressive," he said, and actually meant it.

Iruka straightened, looking vaguely disgruntled. "Kakashi-sensei. Did you need to speak to me?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps," And he watched with carefully concealed amusement as the chuunin scowled and bent to collect his bags with their now bruised fruit. "I was actually wondering if there was anything you needed to speak to me about." Or confess. Whatever.

"I have just spent my day teaching hyperactive wanna-be nin how to throw sharp, pointy objects," Iruka said, through grit teeth. A piece of hair had fallen out of his high ponytail and lay just to the side of his face. It was the first time Kakashi had ever seen the other man look anything but put together. "After I spent the entire day patching up cuts and keeping them from killing each other, I spent three hours at the mission desk. That was before I went grocery shopping and nearly got run over an old lady, looking for a sale on apples. Kakashi-sensei, forgive my rudeness, but what the hell do you want?"

Kakashi cocked his head, considering. Well, honestly had already worked once today. "You have been teaching Naruto about exploding tags."

"Yes I have. And traps." With that, Iruka turned and continued his walk down the path, leaving Kakashi to lengthen his stride to keep up.

"You are not his teacher any longer. I am," Kakashi said. He remembered the last time he had spoken similar words: The Chuunin exams in the old timeline, and the man had blown his top.

Now, Iruka looked like he dearly wanted to roll his eyes. "I remembered that when graduating him, yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"It's out of line-"

"If I were still his teacher," Iruka said, over him. "I would agree. But now I am his guardian." He turned to Kakashi. "There is no village law against passing down family knowledge. The Umino line have many secrets of different explosion techniques and traps. My father was a special jounin in the discipline, and what he managed to teach me before he died, I'm teaching Naruto."

That revelation would have been enough to make Kakashi stumble, if he were that sort of person. Instead, he slouched a little further in surprise. "You consider him your heir, then?"

Iruka lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I'm very unlikely to have children of my own, Kakashi. So yes."

Kakashi went silent again. Back in the other timeline, before the chuunin exam where everything had gone to hell, Kakashi had considered Sasuke his heir, of sorts. Certainty, he'd had high hopes for him, which was why he had taught him the chidori. In this timeline, he had vague plans for Naruto to fill that role. He was the best of the next generation. The one to which he could safely teach Hatake secrets.

But it seemed Iruka had beaten him to the punch. Could one boy be the heir of two living families? His legal knowledge was woefully inadequate. Perhaps, if Sakura-

"Does it shock you?" Iruka asked, quietly.

"Hn? No sensei. Naruto is a clever student." Kakashi paused, then added, "When he wishes to be."

"No, that's not what-" Iruka shook his head, but his lips curled slightly into a smile. They reached the house and he said, "Knowing Naruto, he'll be training by himself in the forest for a few more hours. Do you... want to come in? I'd like to discuss his progress with you... And you could stay for dinner, if you like."

Kakashi hesitated, but he could smell some of the partially crushed fruits in Iruka's bag. He had last eaten early-morning, and his stomach growled. "Certainly, sensei."

In addition to making clever water-clones, the chuunin could cook, as well.

* * *

**OOOO**

* * *

The weeks passed more quickly than he anticipated - it seemed, more quickly than it had the first time around.

Gai's reports of Sakura's training were glowing, though he was quick to point out that the girl was not up to his adorable student, Lee's level. Likely, Kakashi thought, because she didn't kill herself training 23 hours a day like the other boy. But she was progressing nicely,

When he took time out to test her taijutsu training, he found her quick, physically and mentally. He had even blocked a punch from her that had made the palm of his hand sting for an hour afterwards. Once she graduated from the basics and learned how to channel chakra into her strikes, she would be a force to be reckoned with.

Kakashi stayed out of Iruka's way when it come to Naruto's explosive and trap training. There was an unwritten courtesy in the village that a Jounin-sensei did not scope his student's family secrets. If the Uchiha clan were still alive, he would be expected not to interfere there as well. Luckily, they were mostly dead, so it wasn't a worry.

Speaking of the Uchiha, Sasuke's reports from the hospital were, to be frank, dismal.

The boy did his duties, but without joy or enthusiasm. He had zero bedside manner and was more likely to be surly with the patients than sympathetic. Kakashi did not care if the boy was unhappy. He had done the bare minimum to pass - brought a fish back to life. And more importantly, the chakra-intensive work was draining enough so that he didn't pursue... other subjects.

It would have to do for now.

Then came the morning where Kakashi had been walking along the forest, waiting for his students to discover him. He felt a distinctive crunch under the sole of a sandal, and abruptly found himself hanging by the ankle, twenty feet up in a tree.

Only the sound of loud, obnoxious laughter kept him from snapping into attack mode. The trap was crude and easily countered. It was only the fact he'd been taken by surprise that was the surprise. Iruka was a talented teacher.

Down below, Naruto danced a stupid little jig of success, laughing and pointing, while Sakura and Sasuke looked on with apprehension and smug amusement, respectively.

"Yes, yes, you caught me," Kakashi yawned as he was let down. As if it didn't matter.

Naruto was still practically dancing in place from excitement. "We should get something great, because we caught you, Kakashi-sensei! Believe it! Teach us a power-move!"

"Power-move?" It took him a moment to realize he meant a high-level jutsu. The kid really needed to work on his vocabulary.

"Yes, sensei," Sakura added, with a new gleam in her green eyes. It seemed that learning progressively more difficult taijutsu had kindled a little blood thirst in her. "What will we be learning today?"

"Maa." Kakashi scratched his head and glanced covertly at Sasuke who had stayed out of the excitement, arms crossed and looking bored. Actually, the boy looked exhausted. Long night at the hospital, no doubt. It was such a shame that _someone_ had switched his schedule to a graveyard shift.

Kakashi glanced up at the sun, and remembered the day. "I think it may be time for something more difficult than a D-rank mission."

"Really?" Naruto gasped.

He shrugged. "If the Hokage has something for a genin team, we will see."

And with that he turned to amble his way out of the forest, expecting his students to fall in line. They did, Naruto whooping, Sakura smiling with quiet determination, and Sasuke bringing up the rear, shuffling with exhaustion.

Of course, Kakashi knew there would be more than the usual C-rank mission available. He looked forward to how his team would cut their teeth in the land of the Waves.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for continuing to read. Now that I've (hopefully) scared the homophobes off, let's get started on the Land of The Waves Arc!**

* * *

Kakashi watched Naruto nearly bounce his way to the village gates on the day of their first "C" rank mission. The boy's carry-pack was too low on his shoulders, the weight unevenly distributed. In the original timeline, Kakashi had said nothing, thinking that pain from a backache would be an apt teacher. However, Naruto was either more thick or more stubborn than anyone could have guessed. It was the Old Toad Sage who had finally taught the boy how to pack and carry correctly.

Once they reached the gates, Kakashi stopped Naruto and simply showed him how to redistribute weight. It was easier on everyone all around.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi looked up to see Iruka striding in his direction. The other man was a little red in the face, but not winded even though it was obvious he had to hurry to catch up with Team 7.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left," Iruka said, exchanging smiles of greeting with Sakura, and nodding to Sasuke, who did not acknowledge him back. Well, the Uchiha had been in a bit of a snit this morning.

"Good morning, sensei," Kakashi greeted, mildly.

"I thought... well, I had an early class today and I didn't have time to give Naruto these," he explained sheepishly as he handed over a packet of papers to the boy. Naruto took them, his eyes going wide with excitement.

"Oh! Are these exploding tags, Iruka-sensei? Real ones?" As he nearly jogged in place with happiness, Kakashi caught a look at the seals and kanji inscribed on the tags. These were time release tags, and very well done. The man had a talent.

"I know it's only a C-rank," Iruka said, aside to Kakashi, "But I thought... well... keep them safe?"

Kakashi cast a quick look to Tazuna, who looked just as hung over as he had in the original timeline. "Of course," he said, with an eye-smile. "This is a simple escort mission. Nothing to be worried about, ne?"

"Huh?" Tazuna said. "Eh, yeah. Of course."

Iruka looked between them, perhaps sensing that something was being said underneath the underneath. The man was perceptive. But then he nodded once, and touched Kakashi's wrist on the stripe of exposed flesh between his wrist guard and his shirt. "Good luck," he said lowly. Then, after ruffling Naruto's hair, he took off.

The spot where he touched seemed to tingle for an hour afterward.

* * *

**OoOoO**

* * *

He knew how this would play out, of course, and that did leech some of the excitement out of the mission. Not that he'd been at all overenthusiastic about it in the original timeline. Not until they were attacked and Tazuna revealed himself to be not all that he seemed.

Still, Kakashi kept up his part of the process. He spoke at length about the hidden villages, and the Kage's who oversaw the thousands of ninjas within. Oddly, this seemed to be news to both Naruto and Sasuke. If Kakashi ever had the misfortune of being Hokage again, he would take some time out to overhaul the academy curriculum. What were these kids learning? There should really be a standardized test prior to graduation.

Of course, when he _had_ been Hokage, the village had been so decimated by Madara's and Sasuke's combined attacks, there had barely been enough young children left to fill the genin ranks. It had been a moot point.

"Kaka-sensei." Naruto had a strange, almost constipated look on his face. "I think... something's wrong?"

"Hm?" Drawn out of his thoughts, Kakashi looked around and recognized the part of the forest they were in. Oh. So it was that time already.

"I think I feel two shinobi that way." Naruto pointed ahead, and his face scrunched up even more. "They feel sorta blue?"

"What?" Tazuna repeated, overhearing them. "What is that boy saying?"

Kakashi waved him away. "I'm certain it is nothing. Many forms of life can be sensed by those sensitive enough." But when the old man looked away, Kakashi was sure to hand signal to Team 7, in silent shinobi signs he had drilled into them one afternoon: _Keep on the lookout._

Sakura nodded, swallowing and checking to make sure her kunai was in reach. Sasuke grunted, and Naruto looked positively thrilled.

They soon passed by a puddle - seriously, a puddle when the entire week had been cloud-free. Amateurs. - and Kakashi, quite graciously, allowed the illusion of himself to be killed right in front of his young students.

This was the first test to see if his labors would come to fruition. He watched from the nearby bushes.

He was a little sorry to see, as before, that Naruto froze in place like a deer in front of a bright light-tag. Sasuke performed nearly as well as before, while Sakura took a protective position in front of Tazuna, as she ought.

As before, the two Demon Brothers did outclass his young genin team, and it was left up to Kakashi to save the day. And yes, he did it with some style, nearly clothes-lining the two mist-nins. It had impressed the kids before, and Kakashi was not above a little hero-worship.

Inside, however, he was dismayed. Hadn't he done everything right in this timeline? Taken a more active role in his student's lives and training? Set Sasuke on a different path?

Yet nothing significant had changed.

"Naruto," he commented, "their claws had poison on them, and we'll need to clean your wound or go back to the village and get you a doctor."

This set Naruto, predictably, into throes of drama, cumulating when he stabbed his own hand. Presumably to let the poison out. There were ways of using chakra to do the same thing.

Heaving a sigh, Kakashi stepped forward to check to make sure he hadn't done any perminent damage. To his surprise, Sasuke got there, first.

"Dobe," the boy snapped, grabbing Naruto's arm and ungently pushing him to the ground. " "Keep stabbing yourself like that, and you will bleed to death." Kakashi's reports from the hospital were accurate: Sasuke had no bedside manner.

"What!" Naruto squawked. "Fix it! Fix it!"

"I'm trying. Hold still." Sasuke removed a long bandage from one of his packs and bent over the hand to examine the damage. He blinked. "It's not bleeding as much anymore."

"Okay," Kakashi announced, hauling Sasuke up and away. The last thing he needed was for the boy to discover that Naruto carried the nine-tails. "I think Naruto will be fine. Any dizziness? No? Well, then."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. "The wound should be washed. If infection sets in, he could lose his hand."

"Sensei!" Naruto cried, clutching his wrist in horror.

Rolling his eye, Kakashi tossed Naruto his canteen to flush the wound. There was little point. The cut had mostly closed.

Luckily, Sasuke had gone back to his sulking, and didn't look like he noticed or cared. Slyly, Sakura sidled up to him. "That was very nice of you, to try to help him," Kakashi heard her murmur. There were practically hearts in her eyes.

"Jounin-san," Tazuna said. "I need to... can we talk? There are some things about this mission, I think you should know."

Kakashi heaved a sigh. It seemed, for all of his effort, nothing much had changed at all.

Which made the prospect of the future a daunting one.

* * *

**Notes: You didn't think I'd make it that easy on Kakashi, did you? :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes: Happy Halloween! Here's a scaaaaary new chapter! :D**

* * *

Predictably, Tazuna admitted he'd been misleading them all along. Kakashi hadn't even been surprised the first time around. He'd learned the hard way never to trust a client as far as he could throw them.

But, witnessing Tazuna's deception was a good learning experience for the kids. As they continued on their path to the Land of Waves, Kakashi used the time to reflect on what was ahead. Things in this timeline were not changing as fast as they ought for his liking. Naruto had frozen up when the Demon Brothers attacked, as he had last time. Events were carrying them along the same path - a confrontation with Zabuza, Sasuke revealing his sharingan, and eventually Sasuke's defection from Konoha.

It would be several orders of magnitude harder to kill Sasuke after he had activated his sharingan. Not impossible for someone with Kakashi's skills, but harder. Things could get... messy.

And Kakashi found, to his very great surprise, that while the idea of killing the little traitor still had its appeal, there was now a little regret along with it. There was such potential in the Uchiha. There always had been, which was why Kakashi had focused so much of his attention and training upon him the first time. Of course, it had been twisted to pure evil, but the potential was still there.

No active sharingan user could be a medic. He or she would be too valuable as a weapon in the field. The Hokage had so far kept out of Kakashi's business in training the team, but he would have to step in if he saw Kakashi misusing his team's resources. So clearly, the next objective would be to keep Sasuke from the sharingan for as long as possible. Or ever.

Blinding the boy would be one option. If events were allowed to go forward as they had before, there would be much fog and confusion at the battle of the bridge. A stray kunai, a single cut across the eyes... who knows? It would be simple. Afterwards, Kakashi could use his influence to keep the boy on the shinobi lists, and have him concentrate more effectively on his medical training. Healing jutsu's were done with chakra, not with sight.

Kakashi liked simple solutions.

* * *

**oOoOo**

* * *

After another day of travel, they came to the bushes where Kakashi remembered Naruto had stupidly thrown kunai, and almost killed a rabbit which had then tipped off Kakashi that Zabuza was nearby. Quietly, under cover of a simple jutsu, Kakashi prepared some hand seals.

But instead of throwing a kunai, Naruto froze-midstep. "Wait..." he said, crinkling up his nose as if he smelled something bad. "Something isn't right again, Kaka-sensei."

"Oh?" Kakashi looked at him with carefully concealed pride. Was the boy actually sensing Zabuza? The missing-nin hid himself well, even from Kakashi's senses. If Naruto could sense him, he did have quite the talent.

"Don't tell me you're hungry again!" Sakura complained. She had been more willing to get to the village quickly in this timeline, perhaps due to her increased emphasis on taijutsu training. "We just ate a couple hours ago!"

"No... it's not that." Naruto turned in a slow circle. "I think... I see blue out there, and white?"

If Kakashi remembered correctly (and he always did) Zabuza's young apprentice had a bloodline limit with an ice element.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, "Tell me, what is the objective of this mission?"

The Uchiha scowled at him, possibly for being asked such a simple question. "To protect and defend the client," he cast a glance at a nervous looking Tazuna, "at all costs."

"Excellent," Kakashi said, "Be sure to remember that. Now, DUCK!"

Luckily, his students as well as Tazuna heeded his words. They dropped as a giant sword - one of the legendary seven - flew over them and embedded itself in a nearby tree.

Kakashi had been ready for this, of course, and he sensed Sasuke's interest sharpen as he and the missing-nin Zabuza had a chat and Kakashi uncovered his sharingan eye.

Unlike in last battle, the behavior of his students did indeed change. Sakura went over to Tazuna to guard him, but so did Naruto and Sasuke, leaving it up to their sensei to take Zabuza on. As they ought. Really, the fact that he'd had to have Naruto and Sasuke save him from Zabuza's water prison in the previous timeline was an embarrassment.

Kakashi did allow Zabuza to capture him in the water prison again - or at least his clone. As Naruto and Sakura stepped forward a few paces as if to rescue him (leaving Sasuke behind to guard their client), Kakashi stepped from his hidden place in the tree line and waved them off.

"No need for that," he said, and, summoning his Chidori, stuck his lightening wrapped hand into the lake water. Zabuza convulsed for nearly a half-minute before Kakashi released the jutsu.

The missing-nin was not dead - he was a tough one - though he was unconscious as Kakashi water-walked out to the lake to retrieve him, dumping his body on the shore.

Naruto's head whipped around suddenly as a new, slight, figure appeared before them needles already transfixed in Zabuza's neck.

"I have done you the favor of killing him for you," the boy wearing the hunter-nin mask said. "I have been searching for him for a long time."

"You're a hunter-nin," Kakashi said, for the benefit of his students.

"Yes. I am from the Hidden Mist Hunter-Nin team."

Naruto's face went red with frustration, and he started yelling at the newcomer as Kakashi bent to readjust a strap on his sandal. Covertly, Kakashi made a few more seals. He could feel the drag of chakra exhaustion upon him, but if he was quick enough...

The hunter-nin leapt gracefully down to Zabuza's body. Without warning, Kakashi threw a spread of five kunai straight at his heart. Haku's hand snapped up and he blocked them with a swiftness that blurred his entire arm. His counter-strike threw a needle in Kakashi's good eye-

Or would have, had Kakashi not used a substitution jutsu for the cute white rabbit hopping about nearby.

Kakashi's hand flared once again with white electricity. Haku started to turn, but in the second time in his memory, Kakashi thrust his fist through Haku's heart.

Sakura started to shriek, but then clapped her hand over her mouth, stifling the sound. This, too was a learning experience, for all of them.

"What the hell, Kaka-sensei!" Naruto bellowed. "I thought he was a good guy! I-he was just a kid!"

Kakashi withdrew his fist and let the body drop. "I just remembered that Zabuza had a young apprentice. Sasuke, would you examine Zabuza, please?"

To his credit, the Uchiha looked neither shocked at the killing, or wavered before he bent to run a dim green glowing hand over the missing nin. "He's alive," he said, his eyebrows rising. "But he's in some sort of stasis."

Kakashi nodded and gestured for Naruto and Sakura to join them. "Yes, I believe the boy I killed meant to retrieve his master and nurse him back to health by posing as a Hunter-Nin. A man like Zabuza would have many secrets in his body. Such a thing is common."

Sakura and Naruto exchanged amazed glances. Sasuke looked down at Zabuza with no expression.

A wave of weakness passed over Kakashi - he had pushed himself hard since he returned to this timeline to increase his chakra power, but there was only so much he could do in the allotted weeks - and he covered the moment to kneel down by his enemy.

"Now," he said with false brightness as he plucked another kunai from his pouch. "Gather around, students. This is how you make sure a shinobi stays dead.."

Yes, blinding Sasuke would be one way to make sure he did not receive the sharingan, but it was a much more elegant solution to eliminate the need to activate it in the first place.

* * *

**Notes: I'm sorry, did I say this was a scary chapter? I meant violent. I get them mixed up. XD **

**(Before you bitch at me for Kakashi being overpowered, remember that he has more weight of years in experience. Compare the Kakashi of the current chapters with the Kakashi who almost died of chakra exhaustion in the Land of Waves arc. Also, he knew what was going to happen ahead of time. So it wasn't a fair fight.) **


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes: I fully admit, this is a short chapter. It's more of a slice-of-life, to show how Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke have begun to change. I hope you don't mind! Plot will return on the next chapter.**

* * *

"Where is Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura groused on the morning after they'd finally arrived at Wave Country. They'd been allowed to stay overnight at Tazuna's house and his family, but in the morning the jounin had sent them into the forest to train. Alone. That wasn't normally like him.

Naruto shrugged. As he was currently standing upside down on a branch, the motion looked odd. He was working on his chakra-exercises. Again. Sakura herself had long graduated from water walking and all sorts of tree climbing, for which she tried not to feel too smug about. ("I should feel smug!" Inner Sakura cried. "Even Sasuke-kun is supposed to be tree climbing.")

The last Uchiha and cutest, sexiest, most broodingest boy in the world, was sitting off in a darkened corner of the meadow, under the shade of some trees. Before, in the Academy, Sakura thought that his brooding was sexy. It showed the depth of his character. Now, she felt herself getting a little... annoyed. It was wrong. She shouldn't be annoyed with Sasuke (or so Inner Sakura screeched), but if Kakashi-sensei showed up and saw he wasn't working, they could all get in trouble.

Resolutely, Sakura turned and channeled more chakra in her spin-kick. The sole of her sandal landed flat against the trunk of the tree she had kicked, indenting the bark a little. She knew she should go see what Sasuke was up to, but...

...but she had just gotten used to the arm and leg weights that Gai-sensei had insisted she wear at all times except for bathing and sleeping. And it felt so good to stretch her muscles and really push herself after days and days of boring walking. A clean sweat had broken across her forehead and when she punched and practiced the kata's Gai-sensei had made her learn, sometimes... sometimes it felt like she was dancing.

Naruto, though, couldn't be counted on to mind his own business.

"Oy! Sasuke! What are you doing over there?" His yell must have broken his own concentration on his chakra because Naruto fell to the ground with a yelp. Sakura scowled - a fall straight down head first like that could break a neck - but a moment later Naruto was up and jogging to go see what Sasuke was up to.

Reluctantly, Sakura abandoned her tree (several large chunks had been gouged from the bark in her efforts anyway) and went to join them.

Sasuke was knelt down on the ground, industrially scooping soft earth away to form a hole. To the side, several grubby looking roots lay cut in neat pieces by one of Sasuke's kunai's.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, wondering if he lost his mind.

"What are you doing, bastard?" Naruto demanded, far more bluntly.

Sasuke's face was turned away from them, but Sakura could see part of an ear through his raven black hair. It was tinged pink.

"These roots are valuable," Sasuke said.

"But... but you're the heir to the Uchiha clan," Sakura blurted. She hated to admit it, but that was one of the first reasons she had been attracted to him in the academy. That was BEFORE she had gotten to know him properly, of course, and saw his other great attributes. "You must be rich enough."

"No, that's not why." There was no doubt Sasuke was blushing now. The flush had actually spread to his fair skinned arms. "Drinking an infusion of white-root tea will clear lungs when nothing else will. It's rare, known only to grow in this country. I have room in my pack and so I wanted to bring it back."

"Oh, Sasuke... that's so noble." Sakura felt her eyes fill and she wiped the access away, uncomfortably aware of Gai-sensei.

Naruto simply grinned. "When I'm Hokage, I'll make you head medic."

Sasuke shrugged, looking like he didn't care. Sakura knew better. The edge of his mouth had ticked up in a smile.

Naruto's head suddenly swung around. "Hey, Kaka-sensei is coming."

"Where?" Sakura asked.

"He's not hiding his chakra," Naruto said and pointed to the east. "It's all white and glowy."

Sakura rolled her eyes and went back to beating her tree. Good thing Kakashi-sensei wasn't often late. Now that she'd seen him in action and kill not one, but two high level nin, she knew she would have to work that much harder to become great in her own right.

Inner Sakura reminded her that if she were ever hurt in a battle, Sasuke-kun could help nurse them back to health and wouldn't that be romantic?

Sakura frowned and when she struck the tree, she heard an ominous cracking sound.

_Or,_ she told her inner self. S_omeday I could be strong enough to save Sasuke. Wouldn't that be more romantic?_


	14. Chapter 14

The sun broke through the misty clouds and shone clear upon the newly built bridge.

Kakashi kept a disinterested looking eye on Tazuna's construction workers who were finishing up their labor, placing the last slabs of concrete, nailing final nails, and polishing the wood.

Zabuza and Haku were dead, but even if Kakashi didn't know what was about to happen, he knew a man like Gato would not let such an insult pass. The bridge would break his stranglehold on Wave's economy. Such a man had a big ego, and would want to make a grand entrance on a day everyone would be there to witness. The day the Great Naruto Bridge was completed.

Kakashi frowned a little under his mask and glanced at his students who were trying not to look too excited a little way off. Would that be the bridge's name again? The Great Kakashi Bridge was... garish, even by his standards. It was hard for a shinobi to exist in the shadows when one's name was plastered all over a major bridge. Obviously, Naruto was the exception. He always had been.

He was aware of Naruto's shift in attention a moment before the boy spoke.

"Kaka-sensei!" he said, squishing his face up in what might be concentration on any other student. "Something is coming closer, over that way." He pointed to the opposite end of the bridge, where it connected to the land beyond. "Like little fireflies. I dunno..."

Sakura huffed and crossed her arms. "Now you're sensing fireflies? What does that even mean?"

But Kakashi suspected he knew. He languidly rose from his perch atop a railing, where he'd been overseeing the last of the construction. The mist was not thick today, but it was difficult to see far. Gato's mob of men would be obscured for some time yet.

"Sakura," he said, "what would you have done if you did not graduate with your genin class?"

The girl visibly paled, probably thinking his question a threat to cut her from the team. But she was made of sterner stuff (he'd made sure of it this time) and squared her shoulders. "I would have gone to work in my parent's business."

"But you would have had some knowledge of shinobi arts."

"Useless ones," Sasuke grumbled. He leaned against the railing of the bridge, his head down, his arms crossed. Sulking as usual. "How to make clones."

"I've gotten better, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said in what was almost a sharp tone.

Naruto nearly bounced up and down. "I would have kept trying! I'm going to be Hokage and I'm not going to let failing stop me!"

Kakashi nodded once and decided to step in before his entire team fell into squabbling. "Some do as you say, but most failed graduates become samurai, or hire themselves out as mercenaries for hire." His eye settled on Naruto, "Most still have access to their chakra, though they don't use it. It's small, but there. Like seeing fireflies in the dark."

"Hey..." Naruto's face screwed up again in what must have been intense thought. He looked down the misty bridge for a long, long moment. Then back again. "Hey... does that mean... but there's a lot of them coming, sensei. Does that mean...?"

Kakashi nodded. "I suspect," he said with an inner smile. Foreknowledge was a great advantage, "the man who hired the Zabuza and his associate has brought reinforcements." A dark mass was forming in the distance, way on the other side of the bridge. "A great many reinforcements," Kakashi said.

All three children went very still. Kakashi had warned them that something would most likely (ha!) happen today, but he didn't inform them of the numbers they'd face. No need to cause undo anxiety. Still, over the last 48 hours, he'd gotten them prepared as best he could. There was a reason he had all three of them practicing water and tree walking.

Thanks to Iruka's meddling, they had a new trick up their sleeve.

Tazuna's remaining construction workers started to notice the oncoming mob as well. Alarmed shouts rose up all around them. Some men and women abandoned their tools and simply went sprinting for the 'safe' end of the bridge, by the village. Not many of them looked surprised. Perhaps they knew something was coming as well.

"You know your duty," Kakashi said to his students. "If these men get past us, they will pillage the village. They will rape the women and kill the children. Then they will seize the bridge and this village will never be free. It is our duty to stop them."

The mob drew closer - individuals in the front ranks could be picked out and the menacing gleam of bladed weapons caught the sunlight.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura's voice warbled slightly, but she fell silent a glance from him.

"Naruto and Sakura, you are with me," Kakashi said. He looked at Sasuke, "You will guard Tazuna."

The boy stared at him. "I should be fighting! Make Sakura do it. She's-"

He had no time for this. At least Sakura had known her place in the previous timeline. "The mob will be targeting Tazuna specifically. He must be protected at all costs, and as medic you will need to be kept in reserve. There will be injuries."

Sasuke looked mutinous and Kakashi again wondered if he had been wasting his time so far. Instead, he waved Naruto and Sakura off a little ways. When he was reasonably sure they wouldn't be overheard, Kakashi withdrew a scroll from his pocket.

"Take this."

The boy didn't. His dark eyes narrowed. "Am I a messenger, too?"

Kakashi whapped him upside the head. Not enough to hurt the Uchiha, but enough to stagger him a little. "This," he said with patience he did not feel, "is the keystone. Once this scroll is lit, the others will ignite and explode."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Kakashi had pried from Naruto one of the secrets of the exploding tags that Iruka had taught him. The boy's tags were rudimentary and not all that powerful, but they could be tied by lines of chakra together. And enough of them generated quite a lot of energy. Kakashi had made all three genin walk up and down the pillars of the bridge over the last few days as part of their "training" to attach them at weak points. Even if only some of them exploded...

"Should we lose," Kakashi said, knowing that they wouldn't, "ignite it."

Sasuke took the scroll in a slightly trembling hand. It was a calculated balm to his ego. It was important that he didn't rush into the fray - and somehow reveal his sharingan eyes in the process.

The boy nodded, and, tucking the scroll into his vest, went to join Tazuna. The old man had stayed on the bridge as his people left, his wide brimmed hat in his hands and desperation on his face as he stared at the oncoming mob.

Kakashi ambled over to Naruto and Sakura. He crouched, purposefully relaxed, between his two students as the mob and the man who led him, Gato, stopped some one-hundred feet away.

Gato's oily voice rose above the clatter of men and weapons behind him.

"So you are the one who defeated the Demon of the Mist."

"Yeah," Kakashi said, putting as much yawn into his voice as possible.

Gato shook his head. "I suppose Zabuza wasn't was strong as I thought. That's okay, I never planned on paying him anyway!" The man paused to laugh at his own joke, then continued, "This isn't your fight, Leaf Shinobi. Let me take the bridge and I promise to you that no one will get hurt."

"You're a liar!" Naruto screeched, his voice high with fear and anger. "I don't believe you." Then he threw the mob the finger.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you have a jutsu to take care of them?" Sakura asked anxiously.

"No. There are too many." That was a flat out lie. Kakashi could summon his dogs and he knew quite a few water jutsu's that would help with the mob. Now that his chakra hadn't been drained by fighting Zabuza, he could pull out all the stops.

But like a mother fox brings a rabbit with a broken leg to her cubs to kill, so Kakashi figured that this mob of armed citizens would be good practice. Speaking of...

"We need more on our side," he said with a glance to Naruto.

It took the boy until the slow count of five to get it. Then he grinned widely and crossed his fingers. Instantly, a couple hundred Narutos popped into existence around them. Kakashi completed the seals himself, filling out the ranks with fifty of his own clones. Sakura scowled at them both as if they were cheating.

The mob hesitated for a moment, but when Gato screamed at them to charge, they came on with respectable cries of war and with their weapons glinting.

It was ridiculously easy to kill Gato, as it was with most civilians. Zabuza had done so without the use of his arms and only a kunai in his teeth. Kakashi didn't bother doing it himself - he let a clone have the honor.

Unfortunately men as a mob was like a demon with many heads. Some saw Gato die and faltered, but the rest were too blood-maddened to take notice or stop.

Naruto's many clones poofed out right and left - they were good for perhaps one hit, and sometimes not even then - but what the boy didn't know was that he gained experience with every one of them. Kakashi kept an eye on the real Naruto and watched how his aim became more sure, more determined.

Sakura held her own in the middle of the melee, too. There were men who hesitated at sinking a blade into a 12 year old girl. They got kicked in the face for it. Others didn't hesitate at all, but Sakura's limberness served her well and more often than not those got a kunai or a shuriken in the stomach.

Kakashi knew that the fight would be won in their favor. His experienced eye glanced over the field of battle, and he knew that any moment the mob would falter as too many around them all fell. They would-

A rumbling BOOM shook the bridge. Kakashi staggered and had to leap back as his aim was thrown off and he nearly impaled himself on knife taped to a stick that someone was using as a spear. The first BOOM was followed by a succession of others and then the very ground below them began to tilt.

Kakashi looked back in horror to see Sasuke with Tazuna, safely on the other side of the bridge. The scroll in Sasuke's hand was alight with flame.

The Uchiha was blowing up the bridge with everyone on it.

* * *

**Happy New Year! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Note: Been pretty busy in real life, thus the short chapter. You guys were all so kind with putting up with my cliff-hanger that I wanted to give you an update sooner than later.**

* * *

As the bridge collapsed, a number of scenarios flashed through Kakashi's mind. He was master of one thousand - okay, let's be honest - well over one thousand jutsus. With a few simple seals he could blunt the force of impact as he and tons of debris fell into the water. He could teleport himself to the other, safe side of the bridge. A few more seals and his lightening encased hand would be clutching Sasuke's heart.

There was nothing in his repertoire that would save both Naruto and Sakura, who were each fighting their own battles at different points across the bridge.

With three seconds left, he had to decide who to save.

With two seconds left, he realized he couldn't make that choice.

With one second left he knew he'd hesitated for too long.

A final succession of explosions vibrated the bridge under him. There was a lurch, a terrible screech of metal and wood...

...And an entire segment of the bridge in front of Kakashi fell away. Down, down, down into the churning water. The rumbling explosions stopped and for a moment Kakashi, with all of his cunning and intelligence, simply didn't understand what his eye was telling him.

A relatively small segment of the bridge had collapsed. The part, coincidently, holding the majority of Gato's mob (and a couple of Naruto clones). 8 in 10 men had fallen. The rest, including Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto, were alive and standing on the intact portion.

Stark silence fell over the entire scene. Gato's men were just as shocked as the shinobi.

Then a piercing yell cut the air. Kakashi glanced back to see Tazuna letting out a whoop of joy, taking his hat from his head and whipping it around, doing a jig and even picking up a sour looking Sasuke for a quick hug.

Kakashi's wits found him at last. Gato was dead and the blood mad mob had lost its energy with the deaths of so many of the others. With easy grace, Kakashi leapt to the nearest pylon and perched there, making sure that the remaining mob could easily see him.

"That was a warning," he drawled. Better to act as if it was planned all along. A successful shinobi had to be versatile. "If you continue this battle, I will have my student destroy the rest of the bridge rather than see you ransack the village."

He saw several eyes dart at one another. Then, with a rattle of improvised weapons and a few grumblings, the mob laid their weapons down.

What Kakashi came to find out later - thanks mostly to Naruto's yelled, excited questions. Kakashi would have rather gotten the information via interrogation, but he supposed his method worked too - was that Sasuke had used a water clone of his own to water-walk under the bridge and move the exploding tags to the proper points, with Tazuna's urging.

At this, Naruto squinted at Tazuna. "Hey old man, why did you want to blow up the bridge? You just finished it!"

"It's only a small segment of the overall span." Tazuna removed his hat and scratched the top of his head. "I've put my village in danger to save them. It's worth it in the end, yes, but not at the sacrifice of its citizens. And there were so many of the mob," he shrugged, "I told young Sasuke here what to do, and he followed my directions exactly."

The Uchiha scowled at the 'young Sasuke' reference, and again when Sakura excitedly complimented him on his water clone. But underneath it all, Kakashi suspected he was pleased.

"You panicked," Kakashi said to Tazuna, letting his disapproval leak into his voice. And Sasuke had gone along with the plan, presumably stilted after being sidelined.

"No, no." Tazuna laughed. "I realized where my priorities should be. What use was there to build a better future for my cute grandson if he was hurt or killed by the mob?" He shook his head. "The bridge will be fixed and completed in two weeks. There was no choice, really."

Of course there was. Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura were handling the situation. But Tazuna was the client.

"And," Tazuna added while Kakashi ground his teeth, "I still need a name for the bridge, when it is complete."

_Life_, Kakashi thought two weeks later as he guided Team 7 away from Wave, _had a flavor of irony to it_.

He had stopped Sasuke from developing his Sharingan, had helped save the land of the Wave, put down two dangerous nin and a brutal businessman, and his students were growing in power every day.

He was... well, not pleased. Kakashi wasn't certain if it was in him to ever be happy again. Not after seeing the death of everyone who he loved. But he was satisfied, somewhat. Possibly hopeful.

As they left, Kakashi allowed himself to turn one more time for a last look at Wave.

The newly completed, Great Sasuke Bridge was half shrouded in fog. A haunting vista that stuck in Kakashi's mind through the entire journey home.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes: I admit this chapter is short in number of words, but (hopefully!) long in plot. :D** **Oh, I just can't WAIT to show you what happens next after this...**

* * *

The sky was blood red and every breath Kakashi took was thick with oily smoke.

He could hear the sounds of people groaning all around him - civilians and shinobi alike. None had been safe from the carnage. His own shoulder hurt, but the tear was minor and only bled sluggishly. Kakashi was one of the lucky ones.

It was a break in the battle - one of those lulls that sometimes broke between opposing forces. Time to gather and regroup before facing the next onslaught. The next battle.

Konoha was using it to try to control the bleeding. Their enemy was surely gathering their strength for the next attack.

Kakashi gritted his teeth under his mask, the weight of failure weighing him down like a bolder tied around his neck. It was his fault. His student who had sided with Madara. If only he hadn't been so blind...if only he could have seen in time...

Channeling his chakra to his arms to lend him strength, he bent to shift a concrete pillar that had fallen upon a home. As he feared, there were civilian casualties under the rubble. Some of them...quite young.

"Medic!" he called. "I need a medi-nin here."

A flash of movement, and there was a medi-nin at his side. Kakashi hardly recognized his former student, so covered in grime as he was.

Sasuke grunted as he saw the carnage - terrible, even by shinobi standards. But he had always been a recalcitrant young man. After a quick assessment, he raised his black eyes to Kakashi and gave a nod. "I have it from here, sensei."

"Have you seen Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"She's at the front lines, holding the next wave back."

Then they'd need Kakashi's strength along with them. There was no telling how powerful Naruto and Madara had become, with the joined strengths of ancient wisdom and the kyuubi...

* * *

Kakashi woke with a start, the dream making his heart thunder in his chest. He was back in his space Jounin apartment. The only decoration a sickly looking plant upon the window sill. It was three weeks after he and Team 7 had returned from their successful Wave Country mission.

And what he'd dreamt... had never happened. Well, not in that way, exactly. The situation had been the same, but the players were different. Sakura had been at his side in the other timeline, putting her medical skills to the test. Naruto had been holding the lines against Madara and the treacherous Sasuke.

Dreams were interesting things. Kakashi never put much stock into them, but he couldn't quite shake off the lingering affects of it as he rose and got dressed for the day. Every other breath tasted of smoke.

* * *

He tried to brush it off as he entered the great hall with the rest of the Jounin sensei's and a select few of the academy chunins. Kakashi exchanged nods with those comrades he knew and had fought side-by-side with.

Iruka gave him a wry smile and to his surprise, Kakashi found himself returning it under his mask. Naruto's guardian had been amazed and overjoyed once he learned of the mission to wave country (after he got over his shock), and had treated Team 7 - Kakashi included - to ramen.

It had been a...pleasant evening. Even for Kakashi, who was usually not the social type. He had enjoyed himself.

Sarutobi took his place at the head of the room and soon the buzz of voices quieted down.

"As many of you know, it is Konoha's honor and privilege to be hosting this year's Chunin exams. Several jounin have already come to me privately to nominate genin who have failed in previous years and wish to try again. However, we recently have had a genin class graduate. I would like to be advised of their readiness. First, I will hear from their jounin-sensei's."

Kakashi stepped forward. As the most battle hardened shinobi in the room, (except for Sarutobi, of course) the others automatically deferred to him.

"Team 7, consisting of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, I will not nominate them for this year's chunin exams." He eye smiled at Sarutobi.


	17. Chapter 17

**Note: Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. Happy chocolate bunny day to those who don't. :)**

* * *

Kakashi had always suspected that it was his insistence to sign up Team Seven to the chunin exams that forced the other jounin sensei to do the same with their own teams. They were all elite professionals, and they hadn't gotten where they were without being incredibly competitive (sometimes even deadly competitive).

Sure enough, when the hokage asked the other team leaders one by one if they would also like to enter their teams, they declined.

All in all, it was a rather uneventful meeting.

Iruka sensei came to find Kakashi afterwards, a grim smile on his face. Kakashi remembered how angry he had been with him for nominating Naruto (the man was a mother hen). It wasn't the reason why Kakashi hadn't nominated them again. He'd do the same thing in a heart-beat if he thought it was for the best, but it was...nice to have the other man not angry with him. Iruka had a mean yell.

"Naruto will be disappointed," Iruka commented as they walked out.

Kakashi shrugged a shoulder. "If Naruto actually knows about the Chuunin exam, I would be surprised." He cast the other man a look. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but he is not the most observant student."

Iruka's smile was grim. "Some students learn in a classroom. Others out in the field."

"Or through the force of having a kunai thumped against their thick head, yes."

"He is not that bad, Kakashi-sensei."

_He won't be this time around_, Kakashi thought to himself. Though it came with an unexpected cold feeling. That dream he'd had last night had been... unsettling.

He glanced over at Iruka, who surely had other things to do with the Chunin exams offically but was choosing to stroll alongside Kakashi as if he didn't, and had the strangest urge to take him aside - or perhaps teleport them both somewhere more secure, the old Hatake compound for example - and tell him everything. The horrific timeline Kakashi had come from, the strides he was seeing in his students. His worries for the future, because there were so many.

Kakashi was a powerful jounin. This was fact. But he was one man, and he knew with absolute certainty that there were dark times coming for Konoha. He had three genin to protect, Orochimaru to guard against, and a pending invasion. Upon reflection it was amazing they had gotten out of it mostly alive with only Sasuke turning traitor.

One misstep at any point and it could go wrong.

Could he trust Iruka? No, that was the wrong question. Yes, he could trust the man. And there was no doubt he cared for Naruto, would defend him with his life. But he was only an academy instructor. Confiding in him may help Kakashi feel better for the short term, but there was little Iruka could help. Kakashi needed fire power.

_Start small_, Minato used to tell Kakashi during the height of the war and when things seemed so grim. Too much to do and too little manpower to do it. _Start small and soon the smaller changes will combine to make bigger ones._

Tonight Kakashi would put a bug in an ear. More specifically Moreno Ibiki. He would be very interested to learn of any supposed invasion plans. Perhaps if Kakashi could convince him to put a closer watch on Baki, the sand-nin...

"Kakashi," Iruka said. They had been walking in companionable silence for a few blocks. Kakashi had hardly noticed, so caught up in his own thoughts. Iruka's presence was calming to him. It allowed him to think. Kakashi glanced over and saw a flush had stained Iruka's neck, visible even though his dusky complexion.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi asked.

The chunin huffed a laugh and reached up to rub the back of his neck. He looked embarrassed, though Kakashi could not fathom why. Did he have an uncomfortable concern about Naruto?

"I was, ah, wondering, if you were free tonight-" Iruka started.

Off in the distance, a woman screamed.

Both shinobi froze in place, conversation forgotten. Instantly hyper-alert. Kakashi tracked the source of the noise and realized it came from the east. With a concentration of chakra, he jumped to the nearest rooftop. Iruka was on his heels, a kunai in his fist.

The training fields lay off to the east. Screaming wasn't necessarily uncommon from that direction (they were shinobi after all) but that had been a scream of real terror from a unrestrained civilian throat. Nothing feigned.

"Team 7 is over there," Kakashi said as the ground began to rumble. He'd left them to train together as he attended the meeting. What could have happened? He ignored his first instinct to rush in, and watched warily as dust rose over the tops of the distant trees.

No, it wasn't dust. It was solid. A mass of yellow and black, of sand, of-

He heard Iruka made a startled sound. "What is that?"

Kakashi knew. He'd seen it before, once, at the end of the ill-fated chunin exams. Fate it seemed had pushed things along further and faster than he could have anticipated.

Small things make big changes indeed.

"That," he said evenly as he reached up to uncover his sharingan eye, "is Shukaku." The Jinchūriki of the hidden sand, come early.

* * *

**Note: I'm sure some of you are confused. The next chapter will help explain a few things, but remember that Team 7 met with Gaara and his siblings for the first time either just before the jounin meeting or while it was going on (the Manga was a little unclear).**


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes: Loving the fun and crazy theories people are proposing in the reviews! :D It's great to know you're having as fun reading this as I am writing it.**

* * *

Kakashi rushed toward Team 7's training ground, his mind whirling with what could have gone wrong. What could have prompted Gaara to launch Shukaku early?

Kakashi had only been back in this timeline for a few months. He had made some changes, yes, but nothing as large and far reaching to affect the land of the Sand.

Could it be that this wasn't a premeditated attack? That Gaara been goaded into it somehow? It seemed more likely. Especially where Naruto was concerned.

Iruka was only a step behind as they flashed through the trees - doing well for a chuunin, a distant part of Kakashi thought absently. It would be difficult for a lower ranked shinobi to keep up with a jounin, especially when he was putting effort into it.

The ugly back of Shukaku raised above the trees, dusty yellow like the color of the sand around Suna. It tipped back its head and roared, its one tail beating the brush and trees around it. Even a one-tailed beast was a sight to behold.

"I'm getting the children!" Iruka yelled, then peeled off from Kakashi. In the corner of his eye, he saw him land beside a stunned looking Team 7 and start to usher them away.

Naruto raged something Kakashi couldn't hear, and Iruka whapped him upside the head, probably to get him to pay attention. There were two more children a couple years older than Kakashi's team standing by, a boy and a girl, their faces white. Gaara's siblings. Well, if they were standing there slack jawed, then this was an unexpected turn of events for them as well. Iruka turned and snapped something to them and they followed, reluctantly.

Never underestimate the authority of an academy teacher.

Kakashi took it all in at a flash, his fingers already running through the signs for the chidori. He ducked under an aimed strike from the Shukaku. His sandals landed on gritty, hard soil that was Gaara's ultimate sand defense. Chakra channeling into force, into energy, he thrust a lightening covered hand down and in.

Shukaku roared, a sound loud enough to vibrate Kakashi's eardrums. The large beast thrashed, the sand - some of which had turned into glass - shifted wildly under his feet, and even his chakra couldn't hold. He leapt away as one paw hand came crashing in the place where he'd been only moments before.

Kakashi saw and felt other approaching Leaf shinobi converge on their location. This was nothing like the end of the chuunin exams, where everyone was otherwise occupied, leaving only a beleaguered and lucky Team 7 to face down Gaara.

The alarm had gone up from the watching guards. All available shinobi would be headed to this location. Gaara was still had no discipline in this point of the timeline. He would lose.

Some good shinobi would die today. Deaths, Kakashi had come back to avoid.

"Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi turned as a man clad in ANBU clothing landed lightly alongside him. As if in answer to an unasked prayer.

"How may I assist?" the man asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"Yamato," Kakashi said under his breath, then caught himself. He was not called that until later on. "Tenzō" he said, louder, hoping his slip hadn't been noticed. There was a multi-ton monster crashing through the trees around them. It probably hadn't. "Your wood release technique would be helpful."

"Very well," the ANBU said. Then he clapped his hands together. Wood sprouted to his command and surged to the raging one-tailed beast.

It was over very quickly after that.

Gaara, untransformed, was an unimpressive boy. Small and skinny, the sickly air he carried about himself wasn't helped by the look of utter exhaustion in his dark rimmed eyes. He slumped against the wooden bars of the cage, unreacting to the Leaf shinobi who surrounded him.

Kakashi might have felt a swell of pity for the boy. If he were the type to feel pity for his enemies.

He looked about until he spotted the scarred face of Ibiki.

"Kakashi-san," Ibiki greeted with a nod. The interrogator glanced darkly to the boy. "Do you know what happened here? Reports say Gaara was speaking with your team prior to this incident."

Kakashi had his guesses, but he knew if he didn't tread lightly all of Team 7 as well as Gaara and his siblings could be under Ibiki's delicate care. The man was ruthless when it came to his protection of the village.

"An unstable jinchuuriki," he said, "encountered my...very excitable student." It was still forbidden to talk of the nine-tailed fox, but the direct look he gave Ibiki was full of meaning.

Ibiki scowled, his scars twisting up his face. "It could have been a full-fledged disaster if it had happened within the confines of the village."

Kakashi knew that as well, from personal experience.

"I believe..." he said lowly, gazing off in the middle distance. Apathy was the best track to take when dealing with someone like Ibiki's zealotry for safety. "I believe this was no accident, Ibiki-san. Only a weapon that went off early."

"You think Sand intended to set the boy loose among us? Why? When most of the village is brought together for an event." Ibiki answered his own question with another scowl. "The chuunin exams."

Kakashi gave a single nod. "Yes, or as a distraction preceding another attack. Do you know who this boy's father is?"

Ibiki didn't answer him. Just cracked his knuckles and walked away. Kakashi knew that, within minutes, Baki would be rounded up for questioning.

Kakashi walked away too, not wanting to linger over the scene of the crime. He had a young genin team to question.

* * *

**Notes: Don't worry, this isn't the last of Gaara and the sand siblings...**


	19. Chapter 19

Kakashi wasted no time heading over to Iruka's small home. He had seen the chuunin academy teacher herd Team 7 away from the rampaging Gaara, and suspected the man would regroup there. A home was often a shinobi's center of power. His or her place of peace.

However, he had not expected to see the other two Sand Siblings - it took a moment and memories of another lifetime to place their name in his head. Temari and Kankuro.

"What are they doing here, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi asked, upon swooping into the man's home through the nearest open window.

"That's what I want to know!" Naruto exploded, red-faced and mutinous. He was standing by the small stove, looking like he was monitoring a brewing kettle of tea. No doubt a chore set on him by Iruka. "They're from the rock village!"

"Sand, you dolt," Temari said with a roll of her eyes. But Kakashi didn't fail to notice how she had positioned herself in a corner of the small room. Not out of shyness. From where she stood, her back and one side was protected. Her large brother covered her other side. Together, they faced the front as a united force.

"They are our guests in the village, here for the Chuunin exams," Iruka said with forced patience. He sat at the tiny kitchen table with Sasuke and Sakura on either end. Both of whom looked tense and disinterested by turns. "At least," Iruka corrected with a glance up to Kakashi. "They were guests the last I heard?"

The message underneath his words was very clear: _Were these two under arrest?_

Kakashi gave him a slight nod. "They are Leaf guests." For now. Perhaps not once Ibiki got done with the Sand Sibling's sensei.

"What's happened to our brother?" Kankuro asked.

"What was he?" Sasuke asked on the heel of the other boy's words. He never moved from his disinterested pose, but Kakashi had known the Uchiha going on two lifetimes now. His disinterest was a lie. "Was Gaara's transformation a jutsu?"

Iruka shot Kakashi a glance, clearly worried about how much he could or should say.

Sakura, predictably, straightened in her seat. The excellent student she had been in the academy shining through. "He's a jinchuuriki," she answered promptly, and ignored the way Naruto suddenly spilled the teapot behind her. She was probably too used to his antics not to give him a second thought. Sakura glanced at Iruka. "Isn't that right, sensei? He showed all the signs of demon possession-"

"Um-" Iruka started.

"Tell me how it happened," Kakashi said. "How did he lose control?"

Sasuke jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "It was Naruto's fault."

"Was not!" Naruto exclaimed as he mopped up the spilled water. But his face was reddening.

Unexpectedly, Temari spoke up. "Yes it was. You shouldn't have antagonized him like that. We tried to warn you-"

Iruka straightened at his seat. Disapproving. "If your brother was so unstable, why in the world was he allowed to come to our village?"

"Why do you think, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi asked quietly. "He was a bomb, ready to go off." He did not pursue further how exactly the encounter had happened, or what Naruto must have said - or done - to Gaara in this timeline to set him off early. Surely there had been some sort of encounter in the first one, but the fact it had gone this far was...disturbing. Naruto was no bully.

Or he hadn't been in the first timeline.

The memories of his dream filtered through his mind, discomforting him. Kakashi turned again to the Sand Siblings. The brother looked angry enough to hit something. The girl looked about the same, except for the white fear pinching her lips. She was the smarter of the two, he judged. She was the lever.

Kakashi had been a jounin for longer than most of these children had been alive. He knew there was a time to use trickery, and every subtle art a shinobi crafted over the years. But the Naruto of the past had shown him there were times when bold faced declarations worked just as well.

"Did you think we didn't already know?" Kakashi asked casually, looking aside at the two siblings.

"What?" the girl asked.

"The scheme to you were to put into effect during the final round of the Chuunin exams. The plan to assassinate the Hokage," Kakashi said.

He was not prepared for the sudden pulse of killing intent - not from any of his team, or even the two Sand Siblings, but from Iruka. The academy teacher turned, the squeak of the seat loud in a room gone suddenly very quiet.

"You planned to do what?" he asked, and Kakashi remembered belatedly that Iruka and the Third had a close, almost father-son relationship.

"N-nothing!" she squeaked, obviously lying. "I-I mean, we didn't know all of it. We-"

" Temari, be quiet!" Kankuro snapped. But he couldn't quite look Iruka in the eye. He had felt that killing intent, too. Instead, he addressed Kakashi. "You never answered me before. What happened to our brother?"

"I think that depends on you, and what you say in next few minutes," Kakashi said, inwardly amused to be playing the good cop. "There are some," he shifted his eye to Iruka, "who would be...quite unhappy to learn you had a plan to set a demon lose in our village under the banner of peace. Especially when we have the tools to help your brother."

"Help him?" Kankuro scoffed. "What could you do to help him? He's a Jinchuuriki - you've seen what he can do, what he's like. He's beyond help."

Kakashi opened his mouth to sink in the proverbial dagger.

Naruto, the surprising ninja had always was, got there first.

"Shut up!" he yelled, actually stamping a foot. "Stop talking about him like that! He's not a thing. He's a person with a-a..."

"Furry little problem?" Kakashi suggested. Iruka made a strangled sound in his throat.

"Yeah!" Naruto brightened. "You don't know what he's gone through. What-what it's like to..to..."

"To what?" Temari scoffed. "You were the one who started this!"

Again, Naruto reddened. "That was before I knew what he was. But now I do, and I know what it's like to... " he swallowed.

The room seemed to hold its breath, the air thick as if everyone knew what was about to be said, and didn't want - or couldn't believe - it was about to be said. Either by law or taboo or simple ignorance. The kyuubi was not spoken in the Leaf Village.

"To be a jinchuuriki," Naruto finished, his lower lip trembling. He bit it. "I do, 'cause I'm one too."

* * *

**Note: I swear I've heard/read the joke of the kyuubi being Naruto's "furry little problem" somewhere before (I'm just not that funny), but I went through my links and I couldn't find it. My search of the Manga came up with nothing, too. If someone knows, I'd appreciate it if you said so in the review so I can give a link in the next chapter. Or maybe I'm just imagining things?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes: Oh wow, thank you for the universal response to my question about Naruto's "furry little problem". I guess it was a Harry Potter thing. It's been a few years since I read the books, and I just couldn't place it. Thanks again, everyone!**

* * *

The Hatake compound sat on a swath of land adjunct to the border wall of Konoha. Kakashi had barely visited it after his father passed, and had paid groundskeepers to maintain the property only out of a sense of responsibility.

In the first timeline, it had been leveled along with most of the village with Pain's attack, and it had been more or less a relief. Kakashi hadn't bothered to rebuild.

Now he sat in one of the dusty apartments overlooking a courtyard filled with weeds and cracked flagstones. Excited chatter drifted through the air - Naruto's - along with harsh laughter - the girl, Temari - followed by a muffled explosion.

Kakashi didn't bother to glance outside to see what his students were up to. His attention was focused on the much greater danger in front of him.

The Third Hokage stood across the room, and removed the his pipe from his mouth. The stare he gave Kakashi was a long, considering one. After a long moment, he replaced the pipe and gave it a long suck before blowing out a ring of smoke.

This was a good thing, Kakashi knew. There were old legends of how the Third used unconventional weapons to surprise his enemies. He had no doubt the tip of that pipe was needle-sharp.

"This is an unusual request," the Third said with deceptive patience. "Give me one reason why you believe the jinchuriki of the sand should be released into your tutelage, and why I should grant it, knowing if I do, the council will throw me out for incompetence."

Kakashi intentionally kept his body language as slumped as possible, as if the stakes did not matter to him one way or another.

"I can give you several," he said. "Sunagakure can still be a valuable asset to Konoha-"

"They attempted an assassination," the Hokage interrupted, "under the banner of peace. During the Chuunin exams."

"An assassination that never came to fruition," Kakashi reminded him with patience of someone who knew he was right, and someone who knew that the Hokage was also right - albeit in another time.

"Granted, but it wasn't for lack of trying." The Third nodded once to himself. "What else?"

"Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara are the children of Suna's Kazekage."

"The man responsible for this mess."

"Yes, but he has no other children. No other heirs," Kakashi said. "He sent all three of them as a gamble. He sent his number one supreme weapon, their demon, as well. Now we have them."

"What good does it do us?"

"None yet." He paused. "But Naruto is willing to work with Gaara."

Again, the Hokage gave Kakashi a long, long considering look. "Naruto barely knows what he is, much less how to use his power effectively. The Forth made sure of that in his seal."

That he did. Kakashi suppressed a wince. "Naruto has never had another one who could understand him."

The old man snorted. "I have seen this boy. Gaara. He is half-mad, Kakashi. What person can understand him?"

"A person also possessed by a monster," he said quietly. "The secret is out now, Hokage. It is time to stop living under a rock."

"It was the Forth's wish-"

"He is dead." A long held pain pierced his heart, but Kakashi pushed it away. He had two lifetimes to get over Minato's death. Now he had a duty to care for his son, and this time he would do well by the boy. He swore it on the memorial he himself had carved in the other timeline. "And now it is past time for us, for Naruto to start living. His teammates accept him for what he is."

"Do they?"

_They will_, he thought. Sasuke and Sakura's reaction had mostly been one of shock. Sakura had excused herself, and had only returned the next day, pale and pinch-lipped. Sasuke had sat in mutinous silence, and Kakashi did not trust the thoughts that flickered behind his dark eyes.

If Kakashi could undo anything in this timeline so far, he would have started with Naruto's blabbermouth, but there was no use in crying over spilt milk. What was done was done, and in any case the whole village had always known. It was asinine to try to keep that from the new generation. Not when they were poised to take over for the current one. They could not live in ignorance. Kakashi respected Minato, he loved him both as a sensei and as a second father, but what had the man been thinking? It was one thing to keep the presence of a jinchuriki a village secret, it was quite another to make it a conspiracy.

It had almost doomed Naruto once and it would not happen again under Kakashi's watch. Never again.

"What do you want with the Sand Siblings?" the Hokage asked.

"Let me train them along with my team."

Again, the Hokage gave Kakashi a hard look. "You already have your hands full, don't you, with Team Seven? I have watched your progress with interest. Your mind works in twisty ways, Jounin, but I was surprised at the methods you have taken in developing your student's skills."

"Such as?" Kakashi tried not to sound as concerned as he felt.

"The Uchiha, for example. I understand he has not yet developed his Sharingan, a blood limit which you yourself share with him. He should be a first ranked fighter. Yet you made him a medic."

"His intelligence and resourcefulness have proven to be an asset to the hospital, have they not?"

"Yes," the old man said with a small frown pulling at the corners of his lips. "And of course there is the matter of the girl-"

"Sakura," Kakashi said, because while he himself had called Sakura the girl on other occasions she had worked hard, especially in this timeline, to be just as strong as the boys. "She handled herself admirably in the land of the Wave. Her taijutsu skills have continued to grow-"

"That is the unusual thing." He shook his head. "A woman as a taijutsu master-"

"If you doubt me, let me pit her against any one of the students in her class," he said.

"If you were interested in that, you should have entered them into the Chuunin exams," he countered. "I admit no one else was surprised in that meeting except for me. Why didn't you? On one hand you say your students are progressing admirably, on the other you don't wish to show them off-"

"They are progressing," he said, "But they are not ready for the Chuunin exams. Not yet." At least, not until he had dealt with the threat of Orochimaru and could be sure that history would not repeat itself.

For the third time, the Hokage gave Kakashi a long, considering look.

_The old man knew something_, Kakashi thought with a prickle up his spine.

"I have never found any reason to doubt you before, Kakashi," the Hokage said slowly, confirming his worries. "But your motivations are not adding true. You are holding something back."

It would be pointless to lie completely to him. "Nothing that will endanger this village."

"If I ordered you, would you tell me?"

Kakashi was too practiced in deception to hesitate. "Of course."

"Hmm." He replaced the pipe in his mouth. But to Kakashi's surprise and relief, he did not press the issue. "How will you ensure the loyalty of the Sand Siblings? Surely, your family home does not have the resources to keep them under lock and key? If I release the jinchuriki, what will stop them from leaving? You?"

"No. Naruto will," Kakashi said simply.

"Explain."

He shook his head. "I cannot because it's not something I fully understand, myself. He has the ability to get under someone's skin, to inspire them to loyalty."

To his surprise, the Hokage nodded. "This is something I have noticed, too. His father had it, as does your Chuunin-friend, Iruka."

Kakashi was briefly taken aback, though after a moment's reflection he thought, yes, Iruka could be considered a friend. Perhaps the closeness and trust he had with him was what friendship felt like. He'd been apart from others for so long, he had forgotten.

"Naruto is a little more...concentrated than Iruka," Kakashi said.

"Hmm." Something in the Hokage's shoulders relaxed. Kakashi had clearly passed the test. "I will speak to the council, and I expect daily updates."

"Yes, sir."

The Third paused on his way out. "You will need a new team name, I expect. Team 7 was a three cell group. You have doubled it."

Kakashi nodded, though he suspected he'd keep the Team 7 moniker. He'd grown fond of it.

* * *

**Notes: Sorry, I couldn't resist. Kakashi's changed too many things without someone getting a little suspicious.**

**Next chapter: We'll finally figure out why Naruto drove Gaara into going raccoon. And new alliances are formed. Others are shattered.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes: As promised, a chapter from Naruto's POV.**

* * *

Ever since Kakashi-sensei showed Naruto how to 'look' for the signatures of other shinobi's chakra, Naruto had been noticing it more and more. Like, how Kaka-sensei's chakra would flare sometimes when he was sparring or showing them a new taijutsu move, or how Naruto caught Sasuke's doing the same that one time when Naruto visited him during his hospital rotation. Naruto thought it had something to do with how interested the other person was with whatever they were doing. Their level of concentration.

Gaara, though, remained the same. Always. His chakra was sort of tannish colored, and now that Naruto was getting to know him better he thought the color had something to do with the Shukaku inside him. To Naruto's shame, that was part of the reason why he picked the fight with the boy back in the forest. He wanted to see what his chakra would do.

The last thing Naruto expected was to push Gaara too far - Sakura-chan said he could be really annoying, but Naruto didn't think he was THAT bad - and literally release the monster within. But everything had at least turned out all right in the end, and Naruto was determined to make it up now.

"Hi Gaara!" he said, walking into the Hatake compound where the three sand siblings were staying. Iruka-sensei said they were 'out on parole' for a promise against their good behavior, whatever that meant. Naruto was just glad to see them added to their team. Sure, Gaara was a little quiet, his sister Temari a little...intense, and Kankurō was just weird with the puppets, but none of them were as bad as Sasuke-bastard. So...

Gaara nodded his head in greeting. The dark circles under his eyes looked even worse than usual. He'd told Naruto that he couldn't sleep very long lest his demon eat away at his personality. Naruto didn't know very much about seals, but it seemed like there should be a way for someone to fix that. HE had no problem sleeping and the Kyuubi had way more tails and power than the Shukaku.

Across the courtyard, Temari was practicing moving stray bits of sand with her oversize fan. She had a more serious look on her face than usual.

"What's wrong with her?" Naruto asked, noticing her mood and how her sunshine yellow chakra had faded a few degrees to a sour mustard.

Gaara was quiet for so long Naruto wasn't sure if he would answer. Then he said simply. "The second chuunin exam."

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"The second chuunin exam," Sakura repeated, joining up on the conversation. At least she was talking to Naruto now. She had mellowed over the last few days towards him as she forgot she was supposed to be angry. Sasuke-bastard, who came up from behind her had eyes nearly as dark as Gaara's, and bloodshot. He must have been up at the hospital all night long.

Naruto squinted in confusion. "Hey! I thought that was already over. Aren't they all chuunins now?"

"No," Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "That was only the first written exam. The winners from the exam go on to the second, and those that complete them go on to the finals in front of the whole village."

Naruto screwed up his face again. He didn't remember ever watching any previous chuunin exams, but then again... it was possible no one told him about it. He'd ask Iruka-sensei after he got home from training.

"What are the exams, exactly?" Sasuke asked from behind a yawn.

Sakura shrugged. "Each village hosts for a different year, and each exam is different." She looked at Gaara, "Is that why your sister seems upset? You guys were supposed to be entered this year, right?"

"Yes," Gaara said flatly.

Naruto looked around. Kakashi was no where in sight, which was unusual. He wasn't often late. He shrugged and lightly punched Gaara on the arm.

"Hey Gaara, you wanna blast some of my shadow clones?"

The red-headed boy flinched slightly - though he was getting better about people touching him. He just wasn't used to it, so Naruto made sure to do it whenever he could. Not to annoy him, or bully him (he and Iruka had a long talk over that) but to get him more used to how people treated each other in Leaf Village. To help make him more... normal.

But Gaara nodded and if Naruto looked really, really, really close he thought he could see the ghost of a smile cross his face. Maybe.

Well whatever. It was fun to see how fast Naruto could create shadow clones, and if he could keep ahead of Gaara before he destroyed them with sand. After a couple weeks of practicing, they'd both gotten faster and better at creating and destroying. One had yet to completely beat the other.

Sakura rolled her eyes again and muttered something under her breath that might have sounded like, "Boys." She then walked off to join Kankurō who was adjusting a setting on one of his puppets. Naruto knew she was only complaining for show - Sakura and Kankurō liked to use his puppets to spar with her in taijutsu. They were both getting pretty good, too.

Sasuke harrumphed under his breath and went off to sit in the corner of the courtyard, pulling a thick medical text from his bag.

Naruto's 109th clone had just been buried under a tsunami of sand, when he noticed something interesting happening. He paused, holding up his hand for a time out.

"What is it?" Gaara asked. "Tired?"

The boy almost, ALMOST sounded smug. He was always the most expressive when he was feeling competitive. But Naruto was too distracted to count it as a win right now.

"No," he said, looking around. Something was bugging him and he couldn't put his finger on it right away.

Sakura was off on the other side of the courtyard, sure enough practicing taijustu with one of Kankurō's puppets. Temari and Sasuke were off on the other side - apparently she had some knowledge of medics and they sometimes talked things over.

But whatever was bothering Naruto wasn't coming from their direction anyway.

He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated. It hit him suddenly. It was the chakra. A big wave of it - more huge than he'd ever felt before - coming directly their way.

Opening his eyes, he whipped around behind him and yelled, "Gaara, watch out!"

As soon as the words left his mouth the brick wall behind him seemed to explode outward. Then, before Naruto's stunned eyes, a snake - a HUGE - snake slithered in. As tall as a house, as big as a tree.

Naruto barely had time to think, to react, before the big snake struck. Naruto screamed - it was cut off as he was sounded by moist air and juicy saliva.

He'd been swallowed whole.

* * *

**Notes: I know some of your are probably asking 'Where the heck is Kakashi'? Well... that's the question. Isn't it? :D**


	22. Chapter 22

****IMPORTANT NOTE: READ THIS****

**After sitting down and outlining the changes this fic already made to the canon timeline vs how far the manga has gone (even in just the last year!) verses my ever-shrinking amount of free time... I've come to the conclusion that this will be the last chapter of this fic.**

**I started this fic three years ago and I'm up to the Chuunin exams. I barely follow the manga anymore, and to continue this even up to the Time Skip all the while accounting for the changes I've already made is... daunting.**

**No doubt some people will call me lazy, but I'm working two jobs and even the monthly updates are hard to keep up with. I don't want this fic to become a chore. I also don't want it to die out. I know myself: If I get off my monthly update schedule to "take time off", it won't get updated at all. I do not want this to become another abandoned Naruto Time Travel fic.**

**Despite all that, I've enjoyed writing this fic. I'm pretty sure most of you have enjoyed reading it. :) So here it is, the final chapter of Teach Your Children Well.**

* * *

Kakashi knew something big was going to happen today. It wasn't that he was that good (although seriously, he was) but he'd been taking care to follow the Chuunin exams closely and knew that the events that had happened in the original timeline hadn't proceeded at the same pace at all. There had been no attack in the forest by Orochimaru. No unusual dead genin team. In other words, everything about this exam had gone exactly as normal. Of course, for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, that was not normal at all.

Kakashi knew Orochimaru was too obsessive to simply let his dream of owning an Uchiha body go that quietly. Sasuke not appearing in the exams would be only a minor setback.

This day, one timeline ago, had been the day that the snake sannin had attacked Team 7 in the forest the first time. One thing that Kakashi was starting to realize was no matter how little or much he changed the timeline, some prime events remained the same.

So Kakashi had masked his chakra carefully and camped out in watchful vigil over the Hatake compound.

He had expected Orochimaru to appear in one form or another - possibly even for him to try to sneak onto the compound and spy. Kakashi hadn't expected an all out attack. But it was most likely that Orochimaru had other ways of invisibly spying. He must have seen Sasuke alone, with only the protection of his genin teammates and the Sand Siblings.

It must have made a tempting target.

Kakashi still hadn't expected the boldness of the attack.

He flashed out of the tree, pushing up his headband to reveal his sharingan eye. It showed him how the large snake went for Naruto first. And it showed Kakashi, in the vivid detail only a sharingan could, Naruto being swallowed whole.

For a few heart stopping seconds Kakashi knew he had failed the boy. Surely, this hadn't happened in the original timeline. Kakashi had come back, done everything he could - and the failure tasted bitter. The most bitter he had ever felt in his long, tragic life.

Then the scales of the snake bulged out slightly, then a little more, and split with a disgusting ripping sound. Dozens of Naruto clones fell out of the body.

Of course.

Kakashi smiled grimly under his mask and landed in a crouch upon the courtyard, putting himself in front of the Sand Siblings, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Naruto, still sticky with goo, was crawling away. He looked unhurt, but even if he were injured it didn't really matter. The nine-tails would protect him.

What was left of the snake contracted within itself in front of the horrified students eyes. Kakashi himself was a little more impressed than grossed out, but judging by the sounds everyone made except for Gaara, he was the only one. The snake skin shed itself, crinkled and dried in front of them, then rose up to form a man-sized shell. A man's hand clawed its way out of the shell that was left. Then Orochimaru calmly stepped out.

They fought.

Kakashi had been the Hokage at one point, and he held nothing back. Even then, Orochimaru was fierce and the sword that he held even fiercer.

Kakashi heard Naruto in the distance screaming his name as if it were a match. Their fight (and especially the attack by the snake summon) couldn't fail to bring the attention of the rest of the village. ANBU flickered to their aid, but they fell whenever Orochimaru turned his attention to them.

Kakashi was a powerful Jonin, but it was all he could do to hold himself against Orochimaru and his evil bag of tricks.

And he knew, _knew_ with bone-deep certainty that he was going to lose.

It had only happened to him once before, when Pain had invaded the village. Kakashi had made a choice then and, looking at his students nearby, he knew he'd have to make another now. Even the best Gaara could do was to build a sand wall to protect them.

It was Kakashi's duty - his calling - to do everything he could to protect those under his charge. And he would.

Kakashi sent a prayer up and switched over to the Mangekyō sharingan.

The sword came for him again and this time he used the Kamui to send it to another dimension.

Orochimaru's scream of rage could barely be heard as Kakashi felt himself weaken. The strain on his chakra was incredible. He hadn't bother to try the Kamui since he had traveled back. His body here wouldn't be used to the chakra drain, and he felt it at once. It took all of his effort to block Orochimaru's next attack.

He might have fallen at that point if not had two waiting ANBU rushed into the fray. Kakashi rested his palms on his knees and tried to breathe deeply. Tried to calm his suddenly straining heart.

It took Orochimaru a few moments to dispatch the ANBU. Then he turned his attention past Kakashi to the students. Kakashi saw greed in his eyes. This must be a treasure trove to him. Young bodies. Two jinchuurikis. The sharingan, and young, powerful bloodlines. Even Sakura was well advanced in taijustsu by now.

"No," Kakashi said. Then he activated the Kamui again.

The world distorted around Orochimaru and the Snake Sannin moved as if to flicker free. But something caught him and held on. Kakashi's unfocused gaze caught a sticky patch of sand at the sannin's feet, a single sand tentacle wrapped around his ankle. It would hold him maybe a second or two, but it would be more than enough.

Space itself distorted around Orochimaru. Distorted and sucked in.

Kakashi felt almost as if a piece of himself were being sucked as well. A vital bit of life leeching out into the other dimension. He was falling to the knees even as the last of the former sannin's cry of shock and rage fell away.

He didn't feel himself hit the ground, and it felt like the darkness were swallowing him up. His sluggish heart beat once - twice, then stuttered. Kakashi closed his eyes. Both of them, and let death take him.

Or so he thought.

Kakashi opened his eyes. And looked around. Or rather, he opened his eye as one was covered by the patch over his sharingan eye. The one he had taken to wearing ever since they forced him into the hokage's hat and garb so many months ago.

He stared at the time travel scroll between his hands. Open and waiting.

Someone beat on the door. He heard Sakura's angry, strident voice. "Hokage-sama, why aren't you letting me in? You had a meeting-"

Her voice had grown older in the years. Deeper.

He didn't answer, only stared at the scroll in his hands. What had happened? It had not been a dream. It had been real. He had gone back in time.

But now he had returned.

Then he shifted his stunned gaze around the office and out the window to the village. His village. His whole, unburned, _not-being-rebuilt_ village.

He let a single, amazed, "Ha," as the door crashed down behind him.

Kakashi whipped around.

He'd expected to see Sakura as he had last left her as an adult. Burned and scarred and competent. She was still very competent. The young jounin - for her powerful chakra signature could be none other - was still there, and her limbs had grown strong and sleek with muscle. Her hair was cropped short, but there was... no scarring on her face whatsoever.

She gave him an annoyed look. "Kakashi-sensei," she said, and she must have been pissed at him if she was calling him that and not the title of Hokage. "You know that you had a meeting with the hospital staff over an hour ago. I reminded you twice already."

Something in his gaze must have clued her in that something was wrong because she paused before speaking again. "Kakashi-san? The one meeting with Sasuke, you remember?"

Yes. It came back to him, then. He had a meeting with Sasuke. The young healer had taken over the hospital by storm over the last year or so. He did enjoy his rules and schedules. He was brutal and efficient with it, even more than Tsunade had ever been. But... that was wrong, somehow, wasn't it?

Something was off here. A concept he couldn't fully grasp slipped in and out of his mind like sunlight over a rippling stream. Kakashi looked again to the outside, to the village that seemed so wrong whole, when... something had happened, hadn't it? Why was he remembering a larger memorial stone?

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked again, echoing his own thoughts.

Kakashi again looked down at the scroll in his hands - he meant to examine it later. Ah, that was it. He must have lost track of time deciphering the odd symbols. Something about manipulating time and space, much like the Kamui. Then he quickly rolled it up.

It was an ancient thing, found by Naruto and the rest of the excavators. Part of Kakashi's plan to strengthen the village was to expand the new academy grounds, and Sasuke had donated some of his family land to the cause. Kakashi remembered now.

"Ne, Sakura, you know how old men are," he said to cover the moment.

"Old men!" She snorted. "You're only forty."

"Aye, do you remember..." he scratched his chin over his mask. "Do you remember when Orochimaru attacked?"

"And you nearly got yourself killed? And Sasuke had to revive you from chakra exhaustion?" Her eyes narrowed. "What is this about? Are you trying to guilt-trip us again? We were only genin at the time and we couldn't help you - Are you in trouble with Iruka? What have you done to piss him off now?"

Kakashi smiled at the thought of him. Some men liked flowers as apologies after arguments, but of course Iruka was a hard person to apologize to. Thus the reason the academy was being expanded.

"No, no," Kakashi said, then shook his head. He remembered something. It danced at the edge of his mind - there and gone again. Perhaps his sparring with Maito Gai had been a bit too vagarious this morning.

He should have Sasuke check him for a head wound. Or maybe not. The Uchiha's bedside manner had never really improved.

People had thought Kakashi insane when he had decided to train the troubled boy as a medic, but of course Kakashi had known best. Though thinking about it... why had he decided to make Sasuke a medic again? Ah, it didn't matter.

"What else was on my schedule today?" he asked with false cheerfulness, knowing it would annoy his assistant.

She gave him a look. "The contingent from Suna has arrived and Gara has come to greet us as the new Kazekage."

Kakashi smiled again. "Do you think Naruto will forgive him for becoming Kazekage before he became Hokage?"

She snorted at that. Naruto was a terror wherever he went, but his friendship with Gara was one of legend. The two boys could take apart the world and put it back together again. And something briefly struck Kakashi as odd about that, too. But when he tried to chase down the flickering thought it vanished into the ether.

He tucked the rolled scroll into one of the wide pockets his uniform was so very good at providing, and then signaled for Sakura to proceed him.

"Well, I better not keep them waiting," he said, knowing he was probably late already.

Kakashi shut the door and walked out behind her. The odd scroll and it's caveat about side-effects with the Kamui forgotten.

After all, he had been sensei to Team 7, then sensei to the Sand Siblings. Now he was sensei to an entire thriving village. He had work to do.

* * *

_The end._

* * *

So that's it! I always think you've mildly failed if you have to explain in notes about what just happened, but this may still be confusing, so here goes:

The Kamui, being jutsu that alters space and time, had a bad (or good, depending...) reaction to the time travel scroll Kakashi activated in chapter 1. A part of his awareness was shot forward in time - a changed time, thanks to his efforts in the story. The time loop complete, he began to forget he had time traveled in the first place and accept his new reality as one he's always had. Clear as mud?

Anyway, here are my thoughts about how the kids developed.

**Sakura**: Became a Jonin Taijutsu master (though, perhaps, one not as dedicated as Lee.) Unless she's off-mission, she functions as Kakashi's overworked/underpaid assistant. She also holds special taijutsu classes for girls at the academy to make sure none of the female students are lacking in physically kicking butt.

**Naruto**: Is also Jonin and his knack for advanced, high powered techniques has created quite a name for himself (and in the bingo book!). He's best friends with Gaara and is planning to travel to Suna soon to help strengthen relations there (and if he learns a couple cool A-rank techniques from the Sand-nins, well...)

**Gaara**: Has become the new Kazekage for Suna. He leads with strength and wisdom (and sanity) with his brother and sister as helpful assistants, and is best friends with Naruto. The relationship between Leaf and Sand haven't been stronger.

**Sasuke**: Found his niche in the medical field, and became one of the head healers there. He never really learned the whole "compassion" thing, but his intelligence and perseverance are assets. He finally found himself respected for who he is, rather than who his family is. It helped to fill the hole for revenge in his heart. He DID eventually activate his Sharingan eye, though he uses it for delicate surgical procedure and chakra-pathway healings rather than battle.

**Iruka**: Finally snagged Kakashi. They live in a small home, and Kakashi makes sure the academy program is being expanded and gets all the funding it needs.

Thanks again everyone!


End file.
